


Escape: Astro (Dorm)

by IAmAshamedOfMyFanfics (faraandmera)



Series: The ones where people voted on the results [1]
Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: (except sanha bc he's in highschool still), Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen, but i dont tend to write anything graphic, escape the room-ish elements, i dont use warnings bc i dont know yet, it just has elements of the latter, its all platonic unless ya wanna read into thing, just there/, or even entirely horror?, probably severed body parts, slight interactive elements (not necessary so don't worry about that), so i wouldnt worry too much, they never really check if its real, this isn't a mystery story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-02 17:02:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 32,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13322598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faraandmera/pseuds/IAmAshamedOfMyFanfics
Summary: Message from: SanhaWhatever you hearI’m fine.Message to: SanhaWhat am i going to hear?Sanha are you okay?Sanha?Hey???That was the first sign something was wrong.





	1. INTRO

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you read: Please keep in mind the main point of this story is driven by the characters, not really the plot. There IS a plot there, and it isn't by any means ignored, but it's more of the vehicle the story moves via, rather than the driver.
> 
> This story is inspired by a lot of things I love, but most notably escape the room games.
> 
> So, warning, there may be dark/creepy themes going on here, and if that isn't your cup a tea, consider...not reading.  
> (Though it's a little difficult to imagine 'dark' with astro, and it probably wont ever get too bad, keep yourself safe)

If Minhyuk was to point to a moment things went wrong, it would probably be the moment when he looked at the opening for a room close to his college, and sought it out without any further thought. It wasn’t as if it was an entirely bad decision, of course. His dormmates- Myungjun, Jinwoo, Dongmin, and Bin- weren’t bad people, and they generally didn’t interact with him much anyway. The dorm itself was rather spacious, surprisingly so, for how many of them there were. Of course, they each shared a room- except for Minhyuk, who got the small, side room to himself- but there was plenty of space for their things and the main area was even rather large.

No, it wasn’t because of any of that it was mistake. In fact, it’s probably not the dorm’s- or the people in it’s- fault at all..

In fact, it’s all  _Yoon Sanha’s_  fault.

Sanha, who was Minhyuk’s neighbor and in the grade bellow him. Sanha, who was still his friend, despite Minhyuk going off to college while Sanha remained in high school for another year. Sanha, who simply asked Minhyuk about his dorm, and the people he lived with, like any friend would.

Like it was  _normal_. 

> **_Message from: Sanha_ **
> 
> _so whats ur dorm like?_
> 
> **_Message to: Sanha_ **
> 
> _Like a dorm?_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha** _
> 
> _you know what i mean!_
> 
> _what are ur roommates like?_
> 
> _rea you regretting_
> 
> _are*_
> 
> _**Message to: Sanha** _
> 
> _I regret none of my choices_
> 
> _Even the bad ones_
> 
> _They’re fine?? dont really talk to them much_
> 
> _I feel like youd like them though_
> 
> _Probably get along with mj_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha** _
> 
> _mj?_
> 
> _**Message to: Sanha** _
> 
> _Myungjun._
> 
> _He’s the oldest one here i think???_
> 
> _But he’s like 12 i swear_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha** _
> 
> _so that means we would get along???_
> 
> _rude_
> 
> _you have nicknames for them already tho?_
> 
> _ohhhh_
> 
> _**Message to: Sanha** _
> 
> _Dont_
> 
> _They have a group chat and i just got used tousing thier names from that_
> 
> _To using their*_
> 
> _And i guess “we” because im in it now too_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha** _
> 
> _so you have one 2?_
> 
> _**Message to: Sanha** _
> 
> _How can you use “one” and “2″ in the same sentence_
> 
> _Why are you liek this_
> 
> _Like*_
> 
> _Also yeah, obvious, it’s Rocky_
> 
> _**Message From: Sanha** _
> 
> _oh my god dont judge me_
> 
> _lame_
> 
> **_Message to: Sanha_ **
> 
> _It is not shut your mouth_
> 
> _It’s better than bins “moonbin” like that isn’t just his fucking name_
> 
> _Mine is the least lame one_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha** _
> 
> _i dont believe that_
> 
> _**Message to: Sanha** _
> 
> _“mj” “moonbin” “eunwoo” “jinjin”  
>  _
> 
> _They’re ^^^^ not better than mine_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha** _
> 
> _some of these are just names??????_
> 
> **_Message to: Sanha_ **
> 
> _Eunwoo is Dongmin’s_
> 
> _Like_
> 
> _He uses an enitre new name in the chat?????_
> 
> _Surname and all. what is that_
> 
> _And moobin is moon bin’s names?_
> 
> _He just put his surname and given name together is he even trying_
> 
> _And JINJIN_
> 
> _Jinwoo what are you doing you sound like a kid_
> 
> _So like_
> 
> _Rocky - solid name in comparison_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha** _
> 
> _if u say so_
> 
> **Yoon Sanha has gone offline**

It wasn’t all that unusual for Sanha to go offline without warning, Minhyuk had learned early on in their friendship. It was an annoying trait, since Minhyuk never knew  _why,_  and there was always a part of him that wondered if something bad could have happened, but it was normal. Nothing to be concerned about, and nothing for Minhyuk to dwell on.

Sanha came back online the next day begging for math help and everything was normal.

> **_Message to: ASTRO dorm_ **
> 
> _Did someone borrow my laptop?_
> 
> _And by borrow i mean steal, bc i didnt give u permission_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ASTRO dorm)** _
> 
> _no i was actually just about to ask if i could borrow it :(_
> 
> _mine betrayed me_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ASTRO dorm)** _
> 
> _yeah bin moved it bc it was in the kitchen and he was doing_
> 
> _something_
> 
> _but hey was anyone expectin visitors_
> 
> _**Message to: ASTRO dorm** _
> 
> _No. Also @ moonbin wheres my laptop you thief_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ASTRO dorm)** _
> 
> _weird. someone was here but by the time i woke up and went to check they were gone_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ASTRO dorm)** _
> 
> _are you sure you weren’t asleep and imagining?_
> 
> _but, no, i wasnt expecting anyone_
> 
> **_Message form: Eunwoo (ASTRO dorm)_ **
> 
> _^also no_
> 
> _bin’s out and left his phone here_
> 
> _you can probably talk to him in person if youre home_
> 
> _he should be back in a few minutes_
> 
> _**Message to: ASTRO dorm** _
> 
> _Ok but why is he gone_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ASTRO dorm)** _
> 
> _snacks_
> 
> _*or you could come wait in our room so he cant avoid u if he wants his phone_
> 
> _**Message to: ASTRO dorm** _
> 
> _Noted. I’m no my way_
> 
> _on*_
> 
> **You have gone offline.**

Minhyuk finds that Bin doesn’t have his laptop. In fact, when he moved it, he moved it into Minhyuk’s room. So the fact it’s nowhere to be found is both frustrating and worrying. While he doubts someone broke into their dorm and stole a six year old laptop, it’s hard not to allow his thoughts to wander. Maybe that had something to do with the unknown visitor?

No, Minhyuk pushed that thought away for more logical things. He, himself, probably moved it, forgot, and now it’s somewhere in the dorm unnoticed by the others.

When he sets out the search the entire dorm- other’s room included- he is distracted by a message.

 

> **_Message from: Sanha_ **
> 
> _Whatever you hear_
> 
> _I’m fine._
> 
> _**Message to: Sanha** _
> 
> _What am i going to hear?_
> 
> _Sanha are you okay?_
> 
> _Sanha?_
> 
> _Hey???_
> 
> _HEY_
> 
> _YOON SANHA_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha** _
> 
> _|||||||||||||||_
> 
> _fine_
> 
> **Yoon Sanha has gone offline.**
> 
> **_Message to: Sanha (offline)_ **
> 
> _SANHA????_

That was the first real sign something was wrong. Despite Sanha’s words that he was- is? Will be?- Fine, it’s hard not to worry when he sends things like that. So Minhyuk puts the thoughts of his laptop aside and goes to find Myungjun or Jinwoo.

In their shared room, he finds Jinwoo.

“Hey, Jinwoo.”

“Yeah?” Jinwoo looks up, from whatever he’s writing- probably a report- tilting his head.

“Can you drive me somewhere? It’s probably an emergency.”

“Probably?” Despite questioning, Jinwoo stands.

“My friend just sent me a... strange message, and now he wont respond. I worry about him, so.” Minhyuk shrugs, and Jinwoo nods.

“Sure, of course.”

> **_Message from: Sanha (offline)_ **
> 
> _Please don t_
> 
> **_Message to: Sanha (offline)_ **
> 
> _What do you mean don’t_
> 
> _Dont what_
> 
> _DONT WHAT_
> 
> _SANHA_
> 
> _Wait youre still offline_
> 
> _Why_
> 
> _What are you doing_
> 
> **_Yoon Sanha has come online_ **
> 
> **_Message from: Sanha_ **
> 
> _Minhyuk, have you spoken to sanha?_
> 
> _Sorry, this is his mother._
> 
> _his phone is here (i’m using it to message you) but i can’t find him?_
> 
> _We haven’t seen him all day_
> 
> _**Message to: Sanha** _
> 
> _All day?_
> 
> _He just messaged me like, two minutes ago?_
> 
> _With his phone???_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha** _
> 
> _But he hasn’t been home, and I have his phone._
> 
> _He can message you from somewhere else, can’t he?_
> 
> _If you hear from again please tell him we’re worried!_
> 
> _**Message to: Sanha** _
> 
> _I will. And to go home._

“Well, uh, never mind?” Minhyuk looks back to Jinwoo, who is paused by the door to his room. “I wouldn’t even know where to find him, now.”

“Oh.”

“Sorry for- thanks anyway.”

“Sure... if you figure out where he is, let me know, i’ll take you if you need.”

“Thanks.”

Minhyuk doesn’t hear from Sanha. In fact, nobody does for the next week. This is the second sign- second  _thing_ \- that makes it clear something is wrong.

The third is that Minhyuk finds half of his conversations with Sanha- conversations he looks through for any hints of what happened- missing. His entire conversation about his dorm, his conversation with Sanha before he disappeared, a conversation from the day Minhyuk moved, all gone.

The fourth sign comes at six in the morning.

> **_Message from: Sanha (Deleted)_ **
> 
> _good morning_
> 
> _this is earlier than you want to wake up, probably, but that’s okay_
> 
> _messages will be here when you do_
> 
> _well_
> 
> _probably_
> 
> _hey! your dorm is pretty big!_
> 
> _not your room but_
> 
> _som e thing one could probably h_
> 
> _ide pretty easily_
> 
> _**Message to: Sanha (Deleted)** _
> 
> _What the fuck does that mean_
> 
> _Sanha????_
> 
> _Where the hell have you been_
> 
> _Sanha???_
> 
> _How would you know_
> 
> _Sanha are you in my dorm or something?_
> 
> _Sanha?_
> 
> _And what is this deleted shit_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (Deleted)** _
> 
> _it means what it says_
> 
> _duh_
> 
> _See you later!_
> 
> **Yoon Sanha (Deleted) has gone offline**

Minhyuk has never been a easily frightened person. Nor is he one to jump to conclusions. But its really hard to keep a level head about the whole situation. So he stands, hurried, and begins pulling things out of their places, and searching his room for any signs of someone else being there.

Then he leaves his room, and rushes into the one next to his. Dongmin and Bin are both asleep, but wake at him slamming their door open. Bin is the first to raise his head, confusion and irritation on his face.

“What the hell, Minhyuk?” In response, Minhyuk tosses his phone at Bin. Doesn’t even consider if the messages- like some before it- will have disappeared. Doesn’t consider anything except searching every room in their dorm until he’s sure nobody else is there.

And then making sure nobody else can get in, if they haven’t already.

“What- what the fuck is this?” Bin sits up immediately. On the other side of the room, Dongmin sits up slower, confused and clearly not fully awake. Minhyuk ignores him and Bin tosses Minhyuk’s phone at Dongmin. “Is this some sort of messed up prank or-”

“No.” Minhyuk shoots back immediately. “Sanha’s a brat but he wouldn’t disappear for a week, and then send weird shit like that.”

“Shouldn’t we just- shouldn’t we leave and call the police?” Dongmin finally speaks, standing.

“Right- someone do that?” Minhyuk glances at the two of them, and Bin nods, moving to do just that.

All at once, three phones chime. They all stop what they’re doing, startled. Minhyuk’s- in Dongmin’s hand- and Dongmin’s, and Bin’s, all echo out the familiar chime of the messaging app they all use. Minhyuk can’t be sure, but he thinks he hears it from the next room over, as well.

He takes his phone back from Dongmin, as the other grabs his own phone.

> **_Message from: Sanha (Deleted) (ASTRO dorm)_ **
> 
> _well that’s redudant._
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (deleted) (Dorm)** _
> 
> _a little better. it’ll do_
> 
> _Hello!_
> 
> _you’re all Minhyuk’s dormmates, right?_
> 
> _I’m ||||||_
> 
> _And i have some advice!_
> 
> _Dont do what you were going to_
> 
> _and uh_
> 
> _stay in your dorm?_
> 
> _I can’t make promises about what happens if you leave!_
> 
> _wait,a re you three really all looking at your own phones?_
> 
> _in the same room as each other?_
> 
> _jeeze_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (Dorm)** _
> 
> _who_
> 
> _why_
> 
> _what_
> 
> _we’re calling the cops_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (Deleted) (Dorm)** _
> 
> _you cant_
> 
> _you wont_
> 
> _dont_
> 
> _you can’t_
> 
> _really_
> 
> _literally_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (Dorm)** _
> 
> _what the heck is this at 6 in the morning_
> 
> **_Message to: Dorm_ **
> 
> _MYUNGJUN SEARCH YOUR ROOM_
> 
> _It’s just you and Jinwoo in there right????_
> 
> _Check everywhere_
> 
> **_Message from: MJ (Dorm)_ **
> 
> _what_
> 
> _okay?_
> 
> _is this a prank?_
> 
> _it’s really not_
> 
> _good_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (Dorm)** _
> 
> _no it’s not please look_
> 
> **_Message to: Dorm_ **
> 
> _[Image sent]_
> 
> _Here look at this_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (Dorm)** _
> 
> _WHAT THE FUCK  
>  _
> 
> _what the fuck_
> 
> _wtf_
> 
> _OK IM WAKING JINWOO AND I AM NOT SEARCHING ANYTHING_
> 
> _IM OUT GOODBYE SEE YALL LATER_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (Dorm)** _
> 
> _“yall”_
> 
> **_Message from: Eunwoo (Dorm)_ **
> 
> _now?_
> 
> _really?_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (Dorm)** _
> 
> _how i deal withh my panic is not to be judged_
> 
> _also we’re in the SAME FUCKING ROOm_
> 
> _y ou can talk to me directly_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (Deleted) (Dorm)** _
> 
> _well youre all messes_
> 
> _that’s great_
> 
> _here’s an idea! chose a partner_
> 
> _i guess i could just use your rooms_
> 
> _bu t then minhyuk would be alone_
> 
> _oh_
> 
> _no_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (Dorm)** _
> 
> _nevermind_
> 
> _he doesn’t live there but_
> 
> _sanha works?_
> 
> _how about it_
> 
> _MJ & Jinjin_
> 
> _Moonbin & Eunwoo_
> 
> _Rocky & Sanha_
> 
> _sound good?_
> 
> _**Message to: Dorm** _
> 
> _Literally ntohing youve said has sounded good_
> 
> _Who the fuck_
> 
> _Where’s sanha_
> 
> _What the fuck are you playing at_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (Dorm)** _
> 
> _playing_
> 
> _bu t i’m not?_
> 
> _this isn’t some sort of game_
> 
> _i’m not crazy_
> 
> _this is just_
> 
> _happening_
> 
> _so i guess you wont choose, and we ll go with the defaults_

The final sign that something is wrong is when Minhyuk wakes at seven in the morning, in his room, not remembering anything after that message. One second he’s staring at it, trying to figure out what they should do- aside from the obvious of calling the police- and the next he’s waking in his room, again. For a second he thinks he dreamt the whole thing.

Then he realizes Sanha is there, asleep, and he’s sure that something is very wrong. 

> _**Message from: ||||| (ALL)** _
> 
> _Goodmorning everyone_
> 
> _now we begin_
> 
> _**Message from: _ **|||||**_ (R &S)** _
> 
> _Rocky & Sanha_
> 
> _You stand in a room, it’s familiar to one of you, and you realize the windows are locked (you can check if you want, but...)_
> 
> _What do you do?_
> 
> _Try to make it to the living room!_

Something is very wrong. Minhyuk reaches over the shake Sanha awake, and when the other finally does- looking up at Minhyuk is pure panic- he hears yelling from the next room over.

He has a feeling the others are awake now, too.

“Sanha, what happened to you?”

“It was... a puzzle...” Sanha stares down at his hands. “I thought it was.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! So I mention in the tags for this, that there are slight interactive elements, and if while you're reading this chapter 1 is the only one that exists, here it is:  
> Which pair do you want to follow in chapter two? (You'll get Sanha's explanation no matter who you pick, so please don't let that influence you)  
> Rocky & Sanha?  
> Eunwoo & Moonbin?  
> or MJ & JinJin?
> 
> Don't feel obligated to comment if you don't want to, if nobody does I'll just make the choice myself. And, again, you wont miss out on an explanation if you don't choose r&s.
> 
> Also! As far as those interactive elements go, would you like to make more important choices in future chapters? What I mean is, would you like to be give the power to lead this story to a different ending? I know generally where i want the story to go, but the exact end I still haven't decided on, so would you guys want to be the one's (indirectly) choosing that ending?
> 
> Let me know! (If you want please don't feel obligated)
> 
> You can give me your answers to any of this either in the comments here or on my tumblr (iamashamedofmyfanfics.tumblr.com). whichever is most convenient for you.
> 
> Also sorry if someone is reading this from way in the future when it's completed.
> 
> Not matter what I want to thank you for reading!


	2. Room 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> __**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)**  
>  fuck this  
> i mean obviously we dont have a FUCKING CHOICE  
> but fuck this  
>  **Message from: JinJin (ALL)**  
>  for now it doesn’t seems like we’re in any physical danger,  
> so let’s try to figure this out, for now. and keep in touch with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The (two) votes are in: Rocky & Sanha won  
> which at first I was sorta disappointed about- because the other's would have had mid-room choices for you- but then I thought about the actual situation and decided this might be the best emotional route.  
> As for those choice that weren't given, I automatically went with the good route decisions for that, so everything happening with the other pairs is on the good route anyway.
> 
> Rather than sticking with Minhyuks perspective, we're in Sanha's this time!

It had been weeks since Sanha had actually seen Minhyuk in person. He’s vaguely aware that something is very wrong when he wakes up, with the other in front of him, but all at once things come back to him. He doesn’t know how he specifically got here, nor the exact situation, but he has ideas. The messages popping up on his and Minhyuk’s phones is enough to tell him that whatever this is, is related to the last things he does remember.

So trying to sum the whole thing up is difficult.

“A puzzle?” Minhyuk frowns, confused. Sanha can’t blame him for the reaction, really.

“I- it’s hard to explain. Where- uh- where are we, anyway?”

“My dorm room... or what looks like it.”

“Okay, well... what’s today?”

“I can’t say for sure, but according to my phone, Tuesday. The twenty seventh.”

Realization sets in slowly, and Sanha can’t help the startled half-shout that he gives. “What?! It was- it was the _eighteenth_ the last I remember!”

“What  _do_  you remember?”

“Uh... well, there was that puzzle- well it was a puzzle  _game_  I mean, but...”

“No, wait.” Minhyuk  holds up his hand. “The others should probably hear this too.”

“Who... are the others?”

“My dormmates. Wait; did you ever ask me about them?”

“No.”

“So you don’t know their names.”

“Also no.”

Minhyuk briefly catches Sanha up with the information Minhyuk thinks he should know. Who his dormmates are- and their names, in the messaging system, since that’s how they’ll be communicating- before pulling out his phone and watching Sanha do the same.

“Sanha where’d you get your phone?”

“I... had it on me last I remember?”

“But your mom had it. After then.”

“I don’t... know?”

“Okay.”

There’s a moment of awkward pause, before they continue with the original task.

> **_Message from: Rocky (ALL)_ **
> 
> _Hey, guys, can all of you see this?_
> 
> _Are you also locked in your rooms?_
> 
> _Or what looks like them..._
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _yeah_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _yeah, we can see them_
> 
> _and are locked in our “room.”_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Okay_
> 
> _So I asked Sanha to tell me what he knows_
> 
> _Then figured he should just explain it here, so we all know._
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _that makes sense_
> 
> _by the way is everyone okay?_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _As much as we can be_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _so no_
> 
> _i mean physically yeah_
> 
> _but_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _better than not at all_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _so... is it ok if i start my explanation?_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _yeah you might as well_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _ok well to start i’m sorry._
> 
> _to be fair this is the first time *i* have spoken to any of you_
> 
> _but still_
> 
> _this is really messed up and it’s_
> 
> _kinda_
> 
> _and i do mean *kind of*_
> 
> _my fault._
> 
> _so uh_
> 
> _oh you guys don’t really know me so uh_
> 
> _im yoon sanha, i’m friends with minhyuk, and im a complete idiot_
> 
> _and in highschool which is important bc thats where i heard about the thing that got me here_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _the thing that got you here?_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _yeah_
> 
> _so everyone was talking about this escape the room/puzzle game? i dont know it didnt actually sound that interesting & there were irl elements like actual locations would have hints if you went there or googled them and it just_
> 
> _seemed like a waste of time_
> 
> _but a LOT of people were talking about it and i didnt want to be left out of all those conversations you know_
> 
> _so i look up the game and start playing and its... really easy. like so easy i cant see ANYONE playing it and being like “yes i should tell everyone about this” but i figure it’s gotta get harder, right._
> 
> _it does when the irl stuff kicks in and i gotta google places to find out wth the clue is but like its still easy just tedious i guess_
> 
> _then it gets weird_
> 
> _like it has a clue like “the right of the kitchen” and i think i missed some plot thing or like i’m just not finding the thing IN the game but then i’m in my kitchen making lunch and i look to the right (when i enter) and suddenly the puzzle makes sense bc stuff in my kitchen PERFECTLY fits what i need_
> 
> _but that could be a coincidence and just be like i missed the ACTUAL clue_
> 
> _except it keeps happening. and by the fourth time i don’t think it’s a coincidence anymore and i’m like “yep this game is dead to me and i can never sleep again”_
> 
> _and then i get a notification from the game. which i ignore and i uninstall it except it’s still there?_
> 
> _but you know i can just ignore it everythings okay. except the next day at school i hear people talking about the game again and when i mention one of the really weird clues to them they just look_
> 
> _confused_
> 
> _they’re further in the game than me and say that that NEVER happened in their games and ALL of them talk about it and yep all their games played out with the SAME puzzles it’s just mine and they’re like “maybe you got the wrong one” but we go over it and, nope, it’s the right one so that’s_
> 
> _weird_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _weird is not the word i’d use for that actually_
> 
> _there are a lot of words I would use_
> 
> _and weird is very low on that list_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _yeah its a lot MORE than weird_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _right????_
> 
> _so i reset my phone and am real cautious about locking doors and stuff. paranoid you know? cause what the hell_
> 
> _and then that notification pops back up_
> 
> _“I see you’ve stopped playing. You haven’t beaten the game yet, though, are you sure you want to do that?”  
>  _
> 
> _which_
> 
> _words that are stronger than weird right_
> 
> _and then_
> 
> _i notice that i have messages from minhyuk_
> 
> _except_
> 
> _theyre in response to messages from ME that i never sent_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _These conversations are ones that disappeared for me after sanha did by the way_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL**_
> 
> _yeah and then when i go to talk screenshots of them bc at this point i want evidence of this_
> 
> _they’re gone_
> 
> _so i think i’m just freaked out and maybe everything is fine and im imagining things bc i’m freaked out_
> 
> _its fine_
> 
> _i go to school and do homework and have dinner with my parents and everything is normal_
> 
> _and then i get another notification_
> 
> _“The games terms of service- which you agreed to- say you’ll finish the game or your progress will be deleted within the next week”  
>  _
> 
> _but who cares about my progress in this situation_
> 
> _except “my progress” i guess is more than just the game?_
> 
> _so_
> 
> _i dont remember anything else_
> 
> _except the last notification i got was “You have decided to sacrifice your progress”_
> 
> _and then i woke up here_
> 
> _and while you were checking if everyone was okay_
> 
> _i looked at my phone (dont know how i got it back btw bc apparently according to minhyuk my mom had it) and there are messages i never sent_
> 
> _like one telling him i was okay from AFTER the last thing i remember_
> 
> _anyway that’s everything._
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _okay well_
> 
> _that’s a lot_
> 
> _especially with everything that’s happened to us in the past few hours (?)_
> 
> _it seems like this, too, is an escape the room game? or “game” because it’s real life and really messed up, in general, but, does this seem familiar at all?_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _the “you stand in a room” stuff is how the game explained things (that and pictures) and “What do you do? Try to make it to the [room]!” was how all the levels started_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _this is fucked up_
> 
> _what are we even supposed to do?_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Try to get out, i guess. We dont have much choice, and that would probably be our goal even if we weren’t told to_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _fuck this_
> 
> _i mean obviously we dont have a FUCKING CHOICE_
> 
> _but fuck this_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _for now it doesn’t seems like we’re in any physical danger,_
> 
> _so let’s try to figure this out, for now. and keep in touch with each other._
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _i hate this_
> 
> **_Message from: Moonbin (ALL)_ **
> 
> _same but what else can we do_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _i’m so sorry_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _as much as i’d love to blame you_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _it isn’t your fault_
> 
> **_Message from: Moonbin (ALL)_ **
> 
> _it isn’t_
> 
> _alright jinwoo_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _sorry_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _We should probably start trying to figure this out_
> 
> _Wait wait one more thing:_
> 
> _I sorta doubt we’re /actually/ in our dorms_
> 
> _But are we still near each other?_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _how are we supposed to know_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _somebody yell_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL**_
> 
> _on it_

Sanha takes a deep breath, and before Minhyuk can reach up to cover his ears- which he tries to do- screams as loudly as he can. Somewhere in front of Sanha- past the wall- someone else also yells. From Sanha’s side, Minhyuk makes an annoyed noise, holding his head.

“You couldn’t give me a second of warning?”

“Sorry.”

> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _christ_
> 
> _okay yeah we definitely are nearby_
> 
> **_Message from: JinJin (ALL)_ **
> 
> _somehow i think sanha was the louder of the two_
> 
> _and myungjun’s in the same room as me_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _:(_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _well :/_
> 
> _at least we’ll be able to hear if something goes terrible wrong_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Hear what_
> 
> _My ears dont work suddenly_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL**_
> 
> _sorry_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _anyway......._
> 
> _back to the task at hand_
> 
> __**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _ _
> 
> __right! good luck everyone_ _
> 
> __don’t forget we have this so ask for help if you need it, we’re all in this together_ _
> 
> __**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _ _
> 
> __yeah!_ _

“Okay, well, where do we even start with this?” Minhyuk turns to Sanha, putting his phone back in his pocket, while Sanha shrugs.

“I guess... looking for anything that clearly wasn’t here before? I mean, you know your room better than I do.” Truth be told, if it was obvious enough Sanha could probably tell it was out of place. He’s known Minhyuk long enough- and well enough- that it would probably be obvious if some things were very clearly not Minhyuk’s or something he would allow. He could probably help look.

Instead he watches Minhyuk nod, glance at the door and motion to it, and go to search the rest of his room. Sanha looks to the door, where a keypad is- the ultimate goal of whatever puzzles are left in the room, he can presume- before taking to staring at the ground.

“You’re unusually quiet,” Minhyuk says, quiet himself.

“Is that surprising?” Considering the situation, Sanha think’s it’s unsurprising. He idly scrolls through messages on his phone- a lot of which he didn’t send. Messages with the tag, “Deleted,” upsetting to look at. What would have happened to him, had Minhyuk not needed a partner? And...

Sanha glances back up at Minhyuk, who’s testing the locked state of the windows. Was it his fault that Minhyuk ended up in this situation? As bad as he’d feel about the other’s dormmates, he didn’t _know_ them. Still doesn’t. 

Sanha shakes his head, and the thoughts with it, before glancing around the room. Maybe there’s something obvious.

“Minhyuk?”

“Yeah?”

“Isn’t it weird to have a vent right under your desk? Or do you sit at your desk to stay warm?”

“I don’t have a vent... under my desk.” At Minhyuk’s words, Sanha stands, before kneeling down by the vent that is very much underneath Minhyuk’s desk.

“So this is new.” Sanha can’t help but smile. If he is responsible for this, then the least he can do- he decides- is help Minhyuk get out of here. He pulls on the vent cover, and it comes off with no resistances. It’s a large vent, he realizes now that he’s close to it. Big enough for a person to crawl through. On the other side he can see an open space- like another room- where something he cant quite make out is drawn on the wall.

“What is it?”

“Looks like there’s something on the other side. Maybe something for the puzzle?”

“Can you see what?” Minhyuk leans down next to him, and Sanha shakes his head.

“No, but maybe...” He sticks on hand into the vent, ready to crawl through, when he feels something touch his hand. He pulls back immediately, looking closer at what it was, and finds it to be a spider. Screeching, he reels back- hitting Minhyuk who was behind him- and finally takes note of the fact that there’s more than just one spider there. In fact, there are quite a few.

He ignore the chiming of his phone in order to calm his suddenly racing heart.

“My god- Sanha, what is it?”

“Spiders.” Minhyuk sighs, looking down as his phone, and shaking his head.

“I- I can’t believe you.” Minhyuk pats his head, as if he’s a child in need of comfort, while shaking his own. Sanha frowns, finally looking at his own phone. He scrolls up to the last thing he read, so be sure he hasn’t missed anything- though he doubts it’s important, considering he thinks he knows why the new messages started- and begins reading.

> **_Message from: JinJin (ALL)_ **
> 
> _we heard screaming what happened?_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _That was sanha_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _is he ok?_
> 
> _that was a pretty loud scream_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _He’s FINE_
> 
> _Nothing happened_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _then why did he scream???????_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _There was a spider_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _seriously? :/_

> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _

> _okay so me judging the use of the word “y’all” was inappropriate_

> _but emotes are fine_

> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _

> _this is about a spider_

> _not the possibility of a home intruder_

> _also WE ARE IN THE SAME ROOM YOU PLEB_

> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _

> _“pleb”_

> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _

> _hey guys this may sound strange_

> _but don’t be surprised if there’s one less of us next time we meet_

> _:)_

> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _

> _i want to trade partners_

> _**Message to: ALL** _

> _it was a big spider?_

Sanha finally responds, frowning. Minhyuk pats his head again, be he ignores him, feeling patronized.

> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _

> _that was a delayed response_

> _also it’s okay we’re all on edge_

> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _

> _No he would have screamed normally too_

> _He does that_

> _**Message to:  ALL** _

> _hey so about that partner trade_

> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _

> _wow_

> _guys_

> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _

> _this is... a way too normal conversation for the circumstances_

> _and we have to figure out...._

> _this thing_

> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _

> _this thing?_

> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _

> _a puzzle in our room_

> _there’s a vent? we assume its part of a puzzle because it wasn’t here before._

> _or in our real room, which i don’t think this is._

> _**Message to: ALL** _

> _we have a vent too!_

> _it’s where the spiders we_

> _re did someone scream_

> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _

> _I HAVE DISCOVERED THE SPIDERS_

> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _

> _jesus_

> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _

> _We’re literally trapped in “our rooms” and being forced to solve puzzles_

> _And the spiders_

> _Those are what have gotten you_

> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _

> _okay but what are these vents about?_

> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _

> _ours was under my desk. i’m sure it wasn’t there before now_

> _**Message to: ALL** _

> _ours was under minhyuks desk_

> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _

> _Why, did you not find one?_

> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _

> _not yet_

> _we should look_

> _let us know if anything happens_

> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _

> _we’ll keep you updated on the number of spiders we find_

> **_Message from: MJ (ALL)_ **

> _please_

> _don’t_

Sanha puts his phone away, glancing at the vent again. He knows, logically, some answer will be on the other side. He also knows that, despite being taller, he’s the smaller of the two and would fit through easier.

But he doesn’t want to. 

“Hey, Sanha?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you move so I can get to the vent?”

“Huh, why?”

“I’m gonna crawl through.” Minhyuk doesn’t look any more enthused about the idea as Sanha is, but the fact he’s offering means Sanha doesn’t have to, so the latter isn’t arguing. Sanha moves aside, while Minhyuk moves to crawl through. Sanha watches him take a deep breath, before holding it and moving forward.

Then, once he’s through the other side, Sanha suddenly can’t see him. Something on the other side of the vent closing over it, blocking Sanha’s view.

“Minhyuk?!”

“I’m fine,” comes muffled through the other side of the vent. It takes Sanha a second to figure out what was said, and he frowns.

“What happened?!”

“A metal cover closed down, and I can’t move it.” Minhyuk’s words again take a while for Sanha to process, muffled and distorted by the vent’s echo.

“Hold on I have an Idea!”

“Okay!”

> **_Message to: R &S_ **
> 
> _can you see this?_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _Yeah_
> 
> _Why not just use the other one?_
> 
> _**Message to: R &S** _
> 
> _this way if they have to do the same they dont have to look through all our messages_
> 
> _duh_
> 
> _and that might be confusing of their puzzle is different_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _Makes sense_
> 
> _Alright, well, i just tried to take a picture of this but it wont work_
> 
> _So i’m gonna describe what I see, okay?_
> 
> _**Message to: R &S** _
> 
> _okya!_
> 
> _ok*_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _There are 2 lines with series of images & words_
> 
> _The first is like this_
> 
> _1: [circle] [desk] [calendar] dog_
> 
> _^like it just says “dog”_
> 
> _the second:_
> 
> _2: orange [window] [arrow pointing right] mirror_
> 
> _So_
> 
> _Any ideas, because i’ve got nothing_
> 
> _**Message to: R &S** _
> 
> _it’s the first room, so it’s probably something really simple_
> 
> _like maybe the circle means you_
> 
> _cause “rock”y_
> 
> _and then desk so on your desk_
> 
> _then calendar?_
> 
> _you have a calendar?_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _Yeah in my drawer_
> 
> _The second one down_
> 
> _I never use it_
> 
> _**Message to: R &S** _
> 
> _okay give me a second_

Sanha crawls out from under the desk, and sets his phone down on it while he searches through the aforementioned drawer. To his luck- or, more likely, because they were right- he finds a calendar. Which he flips open, only to realize that every month has pictures of dogs.

Which would be great under literally any other circumstances.

> **_Message to: R &S_ **
> 
> _so_
> 
> _any idea if theres a dog i should be looking for_
> 
> _in this sea of dogs_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _I guess there’s no lack of knowing things it shouldn’t_
> 
> _Since you said you had hints about your actual home when it was still a game on your phone_
> 
> _Try looking for one that looks like hansa_

Sanha nods to himself, putting the phone back down and searching through the calendar. Though Minhyuk had to leave her with his parents, he was really attached to his pet dog. Sanha, when Minhyuk had moved, promised him he’d visit her everyday. Which might not have exactly been true, but he did make an effort to go pet her regularly because Minhyuk couldn’t.

She’s a tiny little teacup puppy, and finding one like her in the calendar proves more difficult than he thought it would. Still, he finds one, and on that month- July- there’s a date circled.

Before he can tell Minhyuk as much, his phone chimes with another message. This time from the “ALL” group.

> **_Message from:  Moonbin (ALL)_ **
> 
> _hey_
> 
> _did anyone figure out what’s on the other side of the vents?_
> 
> _not that i think you guys should instead_
> 
> _but we don’t want to just crawl through unprepared you know_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Yeah there’s puzzle stuff there_
> 
> _And something closes over the vent when 1 person gets through_
> 
> _So don’t bother both trying_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _on the bright side there somehow aren’t spiders in there_
> 
> _just in the vent_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _good to know, thanks._
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _good luck witht he spider vent_
> 
> _with the*_

Sanha takes a second, after reading those messages, to remember what he was doing, before he goes back to his conversation with Minhyuk.

> **_Message to: R &S_ **
> 
> _that distracted me but i found it_
> 
> _the number & the dog_
> 
> _i mean i think_
> 
> _there’s a date circled on every month_
> 
> _but this month has a picture of a dog that looks JUST like hansa_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _At worst we’re wrong and will have to figure something else out later_
> 
> _Hey, check how many numbers we need for the door_
> 
> _**Message to: R &S** _
> 
> _looks like 4_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _So the first two are this date probably?_
> 
> _**Message to: R &S** _
> 
> _or the enitre date is the code to this and there’s something else we need the other for_
> 
> _wait hold on i’ll try it_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _okay_
> 
> **_Message to: R &S_ **
> 
> _no such luck_
> 
> _:(_
> 
> _i tired every combo of the dates numbers_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _Thats probably a good thing_
> 
> _We don’t have to worry about another code just yet_
> 
> _**Message to: R &S** _
> 
> _probably_
> 
> _:)_
> 
> _okay but remind me what the seocnd clue was?_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _yeah hold on_
> 
> _side note: does this eem really easy?_
> 
> _seem*_
> 
> **_Message to: R &S_ **
> 
> _the real game was easy_
> 
> _so this_
> 
> _isn’t surprising :/_
> 
> _im less worried about the game being diffuclt an dmore worried_
> 
> _about us_
> 
> _getting out of here_
> 
> _and everything else_
> 
> _and how i got here_
> 
> _and that this is m_
> 
> _*that this means we’re /all/ missing_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> __2: orange [window] [arrow pointing right] mirror_  
>  _
> 
> __Now that I look closer there’s a bigger space between the window and the arrow than any of the other part have_ _
> 
> __Also i know thats not what you were typing_ _
> 
> __“and that this is m”  
>  _ _
> 
> _What, sanha?_
> 
> _your fault?_
> 
> _**Message to: R &S** _
> 
> _maybe_
> 
> _i’ll go look at the windows bc I don’t know what the orange part means_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _It isn’t_
> 
> _Ok_

Sanha feels weirdly relieved to see that from Minhyuk. Maybe because the others he didn’t personally know, but their assurance it wasn’t his fault didn’t help him feel any less like it was. But he knows Minhyuk would tell him if it was. Even if just to assure him that it could have been anyone’s. But he _would_ have.

So he must really not think Sanha is to blame for this.

Sanha breathes a sigh, before making his way over to the windows. They’re locked, that much he knows from Mnhyuk’s struggling with them. Otherwise, they’re nearly impossible to really see through. He can’t see outside- wonders if there actually is an outside- but he can make out vague lights.

There are different colours, but with orange as a hint, he tries to find an orange light. Except, he finds there are multiple.

“If there’s more than one...” Sanha frowns, in thought, before deciding everything so far as been simple, this might as well be too. So he counts the number of orange lights- multiple times, in case he’s wrong- while being careful not to count red ones. He’s lucky he’s not colour blind, but he has a feeling this puzzle would be different if he was.

This- game, or stalker, or _whatever it is_ \- knew too much to let that happen. Sanha shakes the thought aside, Not willing to let himself think too much about their situation.

> **_Message to: R &S_ **
> 
> _remember this number for me: 8_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _You literally just made it so that you can’t forget it_
> 
> _By putting it here_
> 
> _**Message to: R &S** _
> 
> _oh, right._

Sanha has to laugh at himself for that. Allows himself that, for a moment. Before he looks around the room for a mirror. His first instinct is to look to the right, but finds nothing.

> **_Message to: R &S_ **
> 
> _okay now i dont know what to do_
> 
> _do you have a mirror_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _Not in my room_
> 
> _**Message to: R &S** _
> 
> _then what_
> 
> _WAIT_
> 
> _maybe its the mirror of the arrow_
> 
> _so something to the left_
> 
> _OH_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _why do i feel like whaever you say is going to be_
> 
> _Convoluted_
> 
> **_Message to: R &S_ **
> 
> _the orange lights ONLY in the left window_
> 
> _there are 3_
> 
> _sooooooo_
> 
> _2183 should be the full code_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (R &S)** _
> 
> _If that ends up being correct_
> 
> _Well i dont know_
> 
> _But i’ll be surprised_
> 
> _**Message to: R &S** _
> 
> _convoluted things like this are the CORE of escape the room games_
> 
> _duh_

Sanha makes his way over to the door, carefully imputing the numbers. With a deep breath, and a silent wish for it to be correct, Sanha pushes the enter button. Then it lights up green, makes a startling loud beeb of conformation, and the door opens.

“It worked!” Sanha spins around, sliding into place to look at the vent. Next would be figuring out how to get Minhyuk out of there, but to his surprise the vent is open again on the other side, and MInhyuk is already crawling back through. “See!”

“You know,” Minhyuk starts, pulling himself to his feet and checking for spiders on himself, “maybe the game wasn’t that easy and you’re just good at convoluted stuff like this.”

“Ah- uh- maybe?” Sanha shrugs. Minhyuk pauses, frowning, before moving towards the door.

“Well, let’s go.”

On the other side of the door, is a small area. Three doors sit- one of which they came through- on one side. On the other, there’s a wall- only a few feet away- blocking what would probably be the living room, normally. On that wall, there’s another door, with three lights sitting on it’s middle. Only one of which has lit up.

Once Sanha and Minhyuk are both through the door, their phones chime.

> **_Message from:_   _|||| (R &S)_**
> 
> _Sanha and Rocky You have completed the first room and made it to the Living Room._
> 
> _Congratulations_
> 
> _Time taken: 22min 12sec_
> 
> _Earned: Assisted another pair with information_
> 
> _Earned: First pair to finish_
> 
> _Earned: Communication_
> 
> _Please wait for all pair to finish, for full stats._
> 
> **_Message from: Rocky (R &S)_ **
> 
> _Fuck you_

Sanha glances at Minhyuk, who stuffs his phone into a pocket and crosses his arms. Sanha hadn’t noticed until now- caught up in his own worries- but he’s not sure he’s ever seen Minhyuk so on guard. He’s seen the other angry, and uncomfortable, and most every other emotion after being his friend for so long. But the tension is unusual. New. Sanha can’t be surprised by it, because this situation is bound to lead to that, but it’s still new. Strange.

“Minhyuk...”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry.”

“I said it isn’t your fault.” Minhyuk sighs, facing Sanha. Sanha, in turn, shakes his head.

“Even if it wasn’t, I’m still sorry.”

They don’t speak much, after that, sitting against the new- according to Minhyuk, when Sanha asks- wall. By the time Jinwoo and Myungjun- Minhyuk introduces them when they come through their door- come through their door, Sanha has taken to leaning against Minhyuk. He hand’t realized it, in all his anxiety about where he was and what was going on, but he’s more tired than he thought he’d be.

“Now we just wait on the other two, then?” Jinwoo glances at the last pair’s door, before sitting down on the other side of the area, next to Myungjun.

“I guess so.” Minhyuk shrugs.

So they wait. Jinwoo and Myungjun start talking, occassionally with additions from Minhyuk, idly. More idly than would be expected, but that might just be _why_ , Sanha thinks. They, just as much as him, don’t want to think about where they are, or how long they’ll be stuck here.

Unfortunately, in Sanha’s case, that means thinking about other things. He doesn’t know enough about them to keep up with their conversation, so his mind wanders. To his parents- how worried they must be, how much they must miss him- and to school. About all the people who might worry about him. Hoping, at least, they haven’t just dismissed his absence- disappearance- without any thought. 

“Minhyuk?” Sanha’s voice is quieter than even he expects it.

“Yes?”

“You... missed me right?”

“Obviously.” Minhyuk sighs, reaching out to grab Sanha’s hand. “I was worried, you brat.”

“Sorry.” Sanha doesn’t look up. “Thank you.”

“Yeah.”

Finally, a few second later, the final door opens. Sanha puts Dongmin and Bin’s names to faces, but doesn’t get a chance to learn anything else. Their phones all simultaneously chime. Sanha doesn’t bother to pull his own out, glancing over at Minhyuk’s.

> **_Message from: |||| (ALL)_ **
> 
> _The final pair has made it through._
> 
> _Personal statistics in pair chats._
> 
> _Final rating:_
> 
> _Fastest group: Rocky & Sanha_
> 
> _Best teamwork: JinJin & MJ_

Sanha frowns, wondering what determined that.

> _Least Failed Code attempts: Moonbin & Eunwoo_
> 
> _Most Messages sent: Rocky & Sanha_
> 
> _Least Messages sent: JinJIn & MJ_
> 
> _Overall best performance: Rocky & Sanha_
> 
> _Overall worst performance: Moonbin & Eunwoo_
> 
> _You have all made it to the Living Room  
>  _
> 
> _Number of pairs that failed to escape: 0_
> 
> _**Message from: ||||** _
> 
> _Would you like to KEEP ORIGINAL PAIRS or CHANGE PAIRS?_
> 
> _Please submit your answer._

The entire group stops at that, looking around at each other. The last message wasn’t sent to the group as a whole, but to each of them individually.

Jinwoo is the first to speak, frowning. “Well I think that’s obvious.”

Next to him, Myungjun nods. Bin and Dongmin give varying levels of agreement. Sanha, himself, thinks it should be obvious too. Though he has to wonder if what _he_ thinks is obvious and what _they_ think is obvious is the same.

At any rate, everyone looks to their own phones- Sanha, too, takes his out to do so- and submits their answers to that question.

> **_Message from |||| (ALL)_ **
> 
> _Understood. You have collectively decided..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two choices for this chapter:  
> KEEP ORIGINAL PAIRS or CHANGE PAIRS  
> ^this will affect their votes as well as later stuff. I'd recommend considering how well everyone knows each other.  
> and _Which person/pair would you like to focus on next?_ (person if you vote to change, pair if you vote not to)
> 
>  
> 
> I know last time I said don't feel obligated to comment but.............please comment? I mean you don't /have/ to but I feel like this is more interesting if I'm not making all the choices.  
> Especially since i'm a terrible person who would probably be like "okay so bad end it is :)" (or like Neutral end at least)


	3. Vote

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ____**Message from: |||| (ALL)**  
>  Understood. You have collectively decided…  
> KEEP ORIGINAL PAIRS by Majority vote.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> VOTES ARE IN:  
> Majority voted: Keep Original Pairs (3 out of 4 votes)  
> Majority voted: MJ & JinJin as the next focus (2 out of 3 votes)
> 
> Thank you all!
> 
> Unrelated: by why does ao3 refuse to let me make the summary in italics

The answer is pretty obvious, as far as Jinwoo is concerned. It just makes the most sense to vote to keep their original pair, especially since the only one of them who knows Sanha is already paired with him.

> **_Message from: |||| (ALL)_ **
> 
> _Understood. You have collectively decided…_
> 
> _KEEP ORIGINAL PAIRS by Majority vote._
> 
> _The following voted to change: n/a_
> 
> _You will keep these pairs in the next room. Please go through the door in the following order:_
> 
> _MJ, JinJin, Eunwoo, Moonbin, Rocky, Sanha_
> 
> _Failure to do so in the next 20 minutes will add an increase in difficulty for future puzzles._

“Well,” Jinwoo sighs, frowning, “I’m glad we all thought the same.”

He glances around at the group, and everyone gives some form of agreement.

“I’m not about to let Sanha out of my sight any more than necessary,” Minhyuk states, simply. That isn’t entirely surprising, Jinwoo has seen Minhyuk over the past few weeks, worried and on edge about his friends disappearance.

“Yeah, it wouldn’t really make sense to leave me with one of you, since we just met.” Sanha nods, as if confirming his own words.

“I wasn’t even thinking about that,” It’s Bin who speaks, the admission quiet.

“What did you think?” Jinwoo turns to him, frowning.

“At first I thought me and Dongmin being the worst team probably meant we should be separated, but that seemed... too obvious somehow?”

“It made us vote separately and then was going to announce who voted to change? Seems like it just wanted us to choose changing pairs just to get us mad at each other, or something.” Beside Jinwoo, Myungjun makes a startled noise at Dongmin’s words.

“I thought it was weird! Phew, I almost fell for it, too. But then I thought Jinwoo probably wouldn’t vote to change, and,” Myungjun ends his sentence with a shrug, before knocking his shoulder against Jinwoo’s.

“Either way, we should probably go through the door. I don’t want this getting any harder than it already is.” Minhyuk breaks them away from the conversation, reminding them of the task at hand. Jinwoo turns to him, watching Minhyuk grab onto Sanha’s arm, before turning back to Myungjun- who’s doing the same- and motioning to the door.

“You’re supposed to go first.”

“Right. Right.” Myungjun nods, pauses, and then grabs Jinwoo’s hand. “You’re next, so just walk right behind me.”

“Okay?” Jinwoo raises an eyebrow at that, silently questioning him, but Myungjun only vaguely motions towards Minhyuk and Sanha as an answer.

Then they’re walking through the door, Myungjun first, then Jinwoo. And it’s...

The living room of their dorm. At least its a near-perfect replica of it. There’s probably differences, like there were with their rooms, but it’s hard to see any at first glance. Jinwoo turns around, watching as the others follow suit. Dongmin, then Bin, then Minhyuk, and finally Sanha. Somehow Jinwoo expected something to happen as soon as they were through, but nothing does.

“So... we kept pairs... but we’re all in the same room so what’s the point?” Bin asks, frowning as he looks around the room.

“Maybe it really is just screwing with us.” Dongmin’s addition is punctuated with their phones chiming again.

“Oh, joy, more of this...” 

> **_Message from: |||| (ALL)_ **
> 
> _Thank you for your participation, everyone._
> 
> _For being so cOoperatiVe_
> 
> _I’ll allow you- collectively- to ask me 1 question for now_
> 
> _:) choose your Question wisely_

“Okay...” Jinwoo frowns at his phone, before looking to the others. “I think the obvious question would be ‘where are we’ but we should think this through.”

“I want to know  _why_  we’re here more than where we are,” Dongmin says.

“Personally I think we should ask how many rooms we have to go through before we’re actually free.” Bin.

“What about if there’s an end at all?” Myungjun.

“It said, “for now,” so we’ll probably be able to asks more questions later,” Minhyuk adds, “we should probably choose whatever’s most important right now.”

“What does it mean to have your progress deleted?” Sanha’s question is quieter than the other’s have been, but all eyes turn to him despite this. Minhyuk seems to be the first to process the question, visibly tensing.

“I changed my mind, I want to know that too,” Minhyuk states, simply.

“Why does that-” Myungjun starts, only to be cut off by a look from Jinwoo.

“It told him his progress would be deleted, and then he disappeared and until whatever’s causing this decided he was need for this, his messages all said deleted next to them.” Jinwoo frowns, even as he speaks, realizing something. It’s probably not a question they actually need to ask,  in order to know. He thinks the idea of progress being deleted, and Sanha disappearing draws a line that's easy to follow. Unless he's wrong about it. But, then, he glances back at Sanha and Minhyuk, both tense and clearly distressed now that the question is out there.

“I still think we should ask if there’s an end,” Myungjun says, quieter now than he was a moment earlier. “Like Minhyuk said, we’ll probably be able to ask more later, and I get that it's important to Sanha, but it seems like figuring out if we can ever even leave is a bigger deal?”

“Yeah... you’re probably right.” Sanha nods, tone defeated.

“Why don’t we vote?” Jinwoo gains the groups attention again. “All in favour of asking about progress?”

Minhyuk and Sanha raise their hands.

“Asking about the end of this whole thing?”

Myungjun, Bin, and Dongmin raise theirs. Jinwoo hesitates, before raising his own hand. He glances back at Minhyuk and Sanha, the former of which is frowning at him. He nearly takes his vote back, but knows it’s too late for that anyway.

“Okay, well, we’ll ask about the end this time. If we get a question later, we can ask about progress, okay?”

“Okay.” Sanha nods. “Thank you.”

“You shouldn’t thank them for voting against you.” Minhyuk frowns at Sanha, but Sanha just shrugs.

> **_Message to: ALL_ **
> 
> _When/is there and end to this?_
> 
> _**Message from: |||| (ALL)** _
> 
> _you though t you could ask mo re questions but putting a slash_
> 
> _o k_
> 
> _there is a end_
> 
> _its when you escape all the rooms_
> 
> _you ll know when you get there_
> 
> _Now_
> 
> _Room 2 will begin_
> 
> _soon_

Jinwoo remembers, when he woke up the first time- before they were locked in their rooms- to everyone freaking out about the possibility of a home intruder, that he wasn’t up very long before he was waking up, again, in his room. That second time, something was very clearly wrong, but it wasn’t until Myungjun explained what had happened from his perspective- he read a message, and the next thing he knew he was waking up again- that he understood why something felt so wrong.

This time, Jinwoo wakes on the floor of a living room, but it isn’t their dorms' living room. This time, Myungjun sits on the floor next to him, looking just as confused as Jinwoo feels. This time he knows exactly why something feels wrong. One second he was looking at a message, and the next, here he was.

> **_Message from: |||| (ALL)_ **
> 
> _Welcome to Room 2_
> 
> _**Message from: |||| (J &M)** _
> 
> _JinJin and MJ, you wake in a room familiar to one of you. There is only one way to go- into the kitchen- but the way is blocked._
> 
> _LOADED: Home, Living Room, MJ_
> 
> _What do you do?_
> 
> _Try to reach the Kitchen!_
> 
> _BONUS: You previously earned the award Best Teamwork, and have earned the following hint_
> 
> _"Your combined height will be needed to reach for information."_

“So...” Myungjun starts, leaning back on his hands. “This somehow go weirder than before, and that’s saying something.”

“Weirder?”

“That whole loaded thing? And this... is my parents house. You know, where I grew up...”

“Oh.” Jinwoo looks around. It’s spacious, though mostly empty. The walls are white, and clean. Cleaner than a lived in home should be, really. There’s a deeply unsettled feeling settling in his gut. “Are you okay?”

“I... don’t know.” Myungjun sighs, putting his face in his hands. “It’s... not right, either. It’s too clean, and empty, and there’s stuff missing.”

Jinwoo is silent, allowing Myungjun a moment to collect himself. When he does, Myungjun stands, before offering Jinwoo a hand up.

“Well, let’s try to get into the kitchen, I guess.” Myungjun smiles, somehow the realest one Jinwoo feels like he’s given since this whole thing began. Which may be strange, but he's glad for it anyway. “Let’s put that ‘best teamwork’ thing into practice?”

“I still don’t know why we got that.” Jinwoo shakes his head, taking a step back. “Okay, let’s figure this out!”

“Yeah!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: how much hand holding can I include in this supposed-to-be-tense story?  
> me @ myself: why are you like this
> 
> This chapter is basically just a in-between to get them into the second room. It would have made next chapter too long had I made this a part of it.  
> So I don't really have a vote for you this time, but I do still appreciate comments a lot? But either way it's fine ^^
> 
> y'all i went to type "Message from: |||| (M&J)" and then went "oh maybe not that order"  
> so J&M it is.  
> ^which reading just now my brain read as "jam" so i don't know how to feel about that


	4. Room 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> __  
>  **Message to: ALL**   
>    
>    
>  _not to distract you from your own puzzles_   
>  __  
>  **Message from: Rocky (ALL)**   
>    
>  _I feel like there’s a “but” in there_   
>  __  
>  **Message to: ALL**   
>    
>  _but_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this might actually be the longest chapter? im not sure  
> Edit: yes, it is, oh my god  
> guess who finally got the summary to be in italics? yeah its me  
> EDIT (2): I fixed a mistake is which i wrote "letters" instead of "numbers" in one of eunwoo's messages

Before attempting to start figuring out whatever puzzles are left for them, Myungjun and Jinwoo decide to make sure everyone else is okay. Especially since they’re likely no longer near each other. Though being nearby didn’t _actually_ do anything for them, last time, the fact that they were was still somehow relieving.

Jinwoo actually expects someone else to have already done so, by the time they decide to, but they haven’t.

 

> **_Message to: ALL_ **
> 
> _hey is everyone okay?_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _besides being in my own personal hell?_
> 
> _yeah :/_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _hey_
> 
> _me too  :I_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Where is everyone?_
> 
> _I mean_
> 
> _Where does it look like you are_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _well_
> 
> _a living room_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _/my/ living room_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _^same here_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _what about you?_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Sanha’s_
> 
> _How the tables have turned_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _/how/ have they?_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Last time me & sanha were in my room_
> 
> _Which sanha had never seen_
> 
> _But this time_
> 
> _We’ve both been here_
> 
> _And the rest of you are down to only 1 recognizing the place_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _but are we sure we *aren’t* actually near each other_
> 
> _bc these are fake right?_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _i guess we dont know_
> 
> _but i assumed?_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _did you hear that?_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _no?_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _yeah **no** we didnt_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _no_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _nope_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Yes_
> 
> _:(_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _i guess we really arent nearby_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _seems that way._
> 
> _okay well, i_ _guess we should all focus on getting out of here?_
> 
> _or into the next room, really._
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _wait!_
> 
> _what’s everyone’s goal?_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _get to the kitchen?_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Get_
> 
> _Oh yeah: that_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _us too!_
> 
> _huh_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _so our goals are still the same at least_
> 
> _well,_ _good luck, everyone. keep us posted_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _good luck! be safe!_

With assurance that everyone is safe- or at least as safe as they can be- Jinwoo takes the time to look around the room. While Myungjun is familiar enough with the place, at least in theory, Jinwoo has never seen it before.

It’s a rather large living room. There’s an area where stairs clearly  _should_  be, but when he looks not only are the stairs themselves absent, but there’s nowhere for them to lead if they were there. There’s a couch, as well as two chairs, surrounding a coffee table, and a small TV across from that. To the right, from where Jinwoo stands, facing the TV, there’s a window- covered on the other side, so there’s nothing to look out at- with purple and gold curtains hanging at it’s side. Next to that is a rectangular part of the wall, that’s a different colour, like it was recently filled in.

“Did there used to be a door here?” Jinwoo motions to said area, gaining Myungjuns attention. The other turns away from where he’s examining the space behind the TV.

“Huh? Yeah, that’s were the front door should be.”

“What are you looking at?”

“There’s no wires. Not even any outlets.” Myungjun frowns, glancing back at the space. “This place is way less accurate than our dorm was.”

“Weird.”

“Words stronger than weird,” Myungjun says, clearly trying to joke despite being uncomfortable with the situation.

“Sorry, a word  _stronger_  than weird.” Jinwoo turn away from the left wall. It doesn’t have anything else of note, anyway. The area behind Jinwoo, where the stairs should be, is also pretty much empty. There’s a folding door, that opens into a closet, he assumes. They can take a closer look at that later. To his right, there’s a wall with an archway in it. Above said archway, there’s an area to place things- there’s a few different things up there, none of which he can see very well- that he has a sinking suspicion will be important later.

Behind the archway- or through it, rather- there’s a pane of that frosted glass, blocking his view of what he can barely make out as probably being the kitchen. There’s a padlock, attached through a hole in the glass as well as the side of the archway, that he figures is their ultimate goal. Unlike the code locked door of “their dorm” this seems to need a key. It’s awkward angle, too, means he can’t look through hole the padlock is locked into, in order to see more of the room past it.

All in all, the place is surprisingly empty. The replica of their dorm, at least, had most of their things in it. That fact made looking for clues more difficult. Not difficult enough that the puzzle was very hard, but it still took more time because of it. The fact that this area is so empty, makes Jinwoo suspicious that it may just be more complicated this time.

“So,” Jinwoo starts, finally turning his attention back to Myungjun, “anything else seem really out of place?”

“Well, the curtains are a different colour, but mostly I think the stuff above the archway is different?” Myungjun motions above them, shrugging. “I can’t completely tell, but it  _feels_  different.”

“Should we start there? There, and that closet, seem to be the only major places to really look for anything right now. Unless you wanna search the seat cushions?”

“No, let’s start with the most obvious, right?”

“Okay.” Jinwoo pauses. “So how do we check up there?”

“Did you already forget? The hint said we needed to combine our height.”

“Well... yeah.” Jinwoo frowns, glancing between Myungjun and the archway. “But which one of us-”

“Me.”

“Why?!” Jinwoo stops glancing between the two, to focus his frown on Myungjun. “I’m pretty sure I’m lighter than you.”

“Yeah, I don’t thinks so, i’m light as a  _feather_. And anyway you’re  _stronger_  than me.”

“Since when?”

“Always! Besides, you’ll be  _fine;_  I’m not even wearing shoes.” Myungjun raises his foot, as if to prove this fact. It’s true, of course. He’s dressed exactly as he was when he woke up the first time. In his sleepwear. Jinwoo is lucky, he guesses, that he was too exhausted that night to do anything other than just drop straight into bed. He’s still dressed like he normally would be.

“I guess that’s fair...” Jinwoo breathes a sigh, making his way over to the archway. “Alright, just be careful.”

“I’m always careful!” Myungjun strides over, grinning.

“I once watched you trip face first into our stove. You were lucky it wasn’t on.”

“ _Usually_ careful,” Myungjun corrects. He puts a hand on Jinwoo’s shoulder, and Jinwoo crouches to make Myungjun climbing onto his shoulders easier. Once he’s settled- sitting there instead of chancing standing while Jinwoo stands back up- Jinwoo stands, using the wall for support. He isn’t sure that him being the stronger of them is actually true, but it’s too late to argue that now.

Once Jinwoo is fully standing again, Myungjun carefully lifts one of his feet onto Jinwoo’s shoulder, and slowly starts to stand. Jinwoo- one hand holding the wall to try and keep balance with the extra weight- raises one of his hands to hold onto Myungjun’s leg. At least if he falls, Jinwoo can say he tried to prevent a concussion. The weight becomes slightly easier to deal with, once Myungjun is able to reach up to the shelf-like area, and put some of his weight on that.

“So, anything?”

“Lots of things. I’m just gonna throw everything down to make this easier.”

“What if you break something?”

“It’s fine! I think-” Myunjun pauses, and Jinwoo hears him shaking something, just because he can hear something inside of whatever it is rattling around in it. “Yep there’s stuff hidden in some of this. It’s meant to be broken!”

“You say that, but-” Jinwoo doesn’t get a chance to finish his argument, the sound of something shattering echoing behind him. “Alright.”

This is followed by the sounds of other things hitting the ground, either clattering or breaking, depending.

“That’s everything!”

“Alright, get down then!”

After another series of careful maneuvers, Myungjun is back on the ground next to Jinwoo. Jinwoo turns around, to the look at the disaster the area behind him has become. Myungjun moves to look through the shattered pieces, and Jinwoo barely manages to grab his arm before he does that.

“Don’t just stick your hand in broken pieces! Even if it  _isn’t_  glass.” Jinwoo motions at the shards of ceramics.

“What else should I do?”

“...you wouldn’t have a broom would you?”

“We keep brooms in the kitchen.”

“Okay, well, let me kick the pieces around a bit. If we see something, at least we’ll know there’s a point to reaching in there.” Jinwoo moves to, lightly, move the pieces around. Myungjun hums in thought, behind him.

“Why’d you get shoes?”

“I had mine on before?”

“Did you not take your shoes off before you went to bed?”

“I had a final, okay, I was  _tired_.” Jinwoo huffs in mock annoyance. Myungjun makes a noise of acknowledgement. The Myungjun laughs, and Jinwoo finds himself smiling. It’s a surprisingly normal conversation. They hadn’t had much of that, in the last room- in the fake dorm room- because Myungjun was so on edge. Jinwoo himself wasn’t much better, but Myungjun was much more  _visibly_  affected at the time.

“Oh! There!” Myungjun points into the pile of broken ceramic pieces- painted a deep purple- at a very gold item visible under one of the pieces. Jinwoo, seeing this too, reaches out to pick it up.

“A key?”

“So... this seems too obvious to be the kitchen key, right?”

“Definitely.” Jinwoo nods, handing it to Myungjun. “But it’s worth a shot?”

“On it!” Myungjun spins around, off to test the key, while Jinwoo returns to checking on the other broken or scattered items. There might be another clue, for all they know. “Nope. Doesn’t work.”

Jinwoo gives a small laugh at how disappointed Myungjun sounds, despite saying himself he didn’t expect it to work. “You sound disappointed.”

“Well some of us like to have hope.”

“Alright.” Jinwoo turns back around. “So what  _is_  the key for?”

“Who knows. Maybe there’s something we haven’t looked at?” Myungjun shrugs. “We still haven’t looked at the closet.”

“Well... let’s look then?”

Opening the closet door reveal a few things. Three small boxes sit next to each other, and each has a different type of lock. One has a puzzle lock; one of those locks you turn the pieces around until they match up. The second has a key lock- Jinwoo figures that must be what the key they have is for- which Myungjun immediately moves to open. The last has a combination lock.

“Well?”

“There’s a bunch of.... letters?” Myungjun lefts up a small pile of papers. They’re smaller papers; Jinwoo’s limited knowledge of paper sizes tells him it’s A5 sized, but he doesn’t actually know if that’s  _true,_  or if he just doesn’t know paper sizes. Each has a small letter written on it, addressed to someone.

“Well that... doesn’t tell us much.”

“It has to!” Myungjun separates the pile into two stacks, and hands one to Jinwoo. “Let’s read these, and see if there’s any hints.”

“Okay.”

Jinwoo first looks at the  _to_ and  _from’s_  of the letters. No point in reading the whole thing if he can gather something from that alone. He doesn’t gather much, except that some of them are addressed to people he  _knows_. Those people being his dorm mates and himself. He has one addressed to Bin, one addressed to Jinwoo himself, and one addressed to Myungjun.

“Hey, Myungjun?”

“Yeah?”

“You have letters addressed to anyone we know?”

“Uh...” Myungjun draws the words out, shifting papers. “Yep.”

“I’d bet those are the only ones that matter.”

“Noted!” Myungjun tosses aside the other letters, and returns to the task at hand. In turn, Jinwoo reads the letters he has.

The first- the one addressed to him- is creepy. Besides the obvious reasons- their situation, for one- it’s written in a way that would unsettled him even if it wasn’t.

> _**M** y dear friend, Jinwoo_
> 
> _Though **w** e have yet to properly meet, and you likely haven’t the knowledge of my exi **s** tence, i’ve come to think of you as someone special. As such, i offer you a gift; may we meet in the future, and find irreplaceable places in each other’s lives._
> 
> _Sincerely, your dear [omitted]_

The name of the person- “person-” it’s from is written over to the point of being unable to read it, but that’s not really important, he thinks. At least not for the puzzle. 

At first Jinwoo doesn’t realize it, until he sees Myungjun leaning closer to one of his own letters, moving it around in the light to try and figure something out. (He thought some of the letters in the words seemed off, but he wasn’t sure if he was just imagining it, looking for answers too much. But if Myungjun, too, thought something was off, he figures he must be right. So Jinwoo looks closer and realizes some of the letters are a different colour.) A few of the letters are a very dark blue, instead of black. Nearly unnoticeable, but definitely different.

A fact which he relays to Myungjun, who gives a small, “oh,” before picking up his other two letters and scanning through them. He picks up his phone, copying the important letters into their shared chat.

“Hey, I don’t know if it’ll actually matter, but maybe add which letters started words, and which were in the middle of words?” Jinwoo says, almost a question. He doesn’t know if it’ll actually matter, but he doesn’t want to miss anything that might be important. Then he turns back to his first letter, copying his own letters.

 **M, W, S.**  The M and W both started their words.

“Okay.” Myungjun’s response is delayed, but Jinwoo appreciates it anyway.

“Have you already read all of yours?” Jinwoo glances to find Myungjun setting down the last of his letters, seemingly done.

“Yeah?”

“How?”

“How have you  _not?_ ” Jinwoo frowns at the comment. Myungjun has, as long as Jinwoo’s known him, been a fast reader. So he really has no right to judge normal people. “ _Here_.”

Myungjun makes grabbing motions at Jinwoo’s letters until the latter hands one of his over. Jinwoo turns to his last letter- the one addressed to Bin- and doesn’t bother actually reading it, just scanning through the letters for ones that stand out. Some of them are a dark red, this time. It’s still dark enough he wouldn’t notice had he not been looking for it, but the red stands out slightly more than the blue did.

 **O, R, I, S**..

Jinwoo copies them down.

> **_Message from: MJ (J &M)_ **
> 
> _NG (n started word)  
>  _
> 
> _DSUM (none started)  
>  _
> 
> _NRS (none)_
> 
> _**Message to: J &M** _
> 
> _mw s (m & w started)_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (J &M)** _
> 
> _BEI (none)  
>  _
> 
> _**Message to: J &M** _
> 
> _oris (none)_

“So,” Jinwoo starts, as he’s typing. Myungjun hums, next to him, waiting for him to type it out.

> **_Message to: J &M_ **
> 
> _m w n_
> 
> _+gdsumnrssbeioris_

“I’ve never been good at word scrambles,” Myungjun mutters, sighing. Jinwoo nods, silently agreeing with the sentiment. He, too, has never been great at them. In fact, looking at the mess of letters is giving him a headache already.

“You know who  _is_  good at them, though?”

“Dongmin?”

“No- oh. Yeah.”

“Who did you think I was going to say?”

“I don’t know.” Jinwoo shrugs. ‘Anyone else?”

“Have a  _little_  faith in me.”

“Sorry.”

“So should we ask him?”

“It couldn’t hurt.”

> **_Message to: ALL_ **
> 
> _not to distract you from your own puzzles_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _I feel like there’s a “but” in there_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _but_
> 
> _anyone up for a word scramble?_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Nope_
> 
> _Good luck_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _hey @ eunwoo help us_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _give me like_
> 
> _5 seconds_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _yeah we’re_
> 
> _busy_

About two minutes pass, Myungjun messing with the puzzle lock- to no avail- until they get another message.

> **_Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)_ **
> 
> _okay_
> 
> _now what did you need_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _help_
> 
> _words_
> 
> _we’re bad_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _okay?_
> 
> _what are they_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _m w n  +gdsumnrssbeioris_
> 
> _the first three all followed spaces so maybe there are three words?_
> 
> __**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _ _
> 
> _holy shit_
> 
> _how many fucking letters_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _alright then_
> 
> _give me.... some more time_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _thank you you’re the best_

While they wait, again, Jinwoo looks back around the room. “So, you think we missed anything?”

“Don’t know.” Myungjun shrugs, leaning back on his hands from where he’s taken to sitting on the ground. “Maybe the curtains being different means something?”

He says it jokingly, but then he and Jinwoo look at each other. It takes a second, realization dawning on them. Then Myungjun jumps to his feet, walking past Jinwoo, and pulling the curtains closed. Jinwoo moves, so he can look at the from the front, and the both pause. The gold of the curtains, when they’re closed, make a nearly-nonsense pattern.

“We’re so dumb!” Myungjun’s exclaimation gets a nod from Jinwoo. He should have checked those as soon as Myungjun said they were a different colour.

“Maybe this is for the puzzle lock?”

“Oh my god!” Myungjun rushes back over to the boxes, Jinwoo following, and starts turning the puzzle lock. Jinwoo watches, giving slight instructions when he notices Myungjun getting pieces closer or further from the correct places. He’s sure, normally, this would bother Myungjun, but the other just seems glad to have the solution.

The lock clicks into place, when the final cylinder is lined up, and with a pull the lock is gone from the box.

Inside is a note.

> _3_
> 
> _7 5 7_

“Okay what does  _this_ mean?!” Myungjun huffs, laying down on the ground and shoving the note at Jinwoo. Jinwoo frowns, unsure, until he remembers that this was probably the  _first_  thing they should have found.

“Maybe this is related to the scrambled words?”

“Three words?”

“There were three letters that started words.”

“The number of letters in each word!” Myungjun sits up, taking his phone back out of his pocket.

> **_Message from: MJ (ALL)_ **
> 
> _y’all_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _“y’all”_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _:(_
> 
> _we found another clue_
> 
> _3_
> 
> _7 5 7_
> 
> _we think its the number of words_
> 
> _and the number of letters_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _oh thank god_
> 
> _that helps_
> 
> _probably >.<_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Ok but while dongmin solves that mystery_
> 
> _Anybody know what the fuck a digital sum is_
> 
> _Or a digital root_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _ive heard the words before but idk them_
> 
> _so like_
> 
> _we’re sorta stuck here_
> 
> _:(_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _digital sum: add all the numbers in a number_
> 
> _digital root: ^ do that until its a single digit_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _help im dumb_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _hey same_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _example:1821_
> 
> _1 + 8 + 2 + 1 = 12 = digital sum_
> 
> _1821 = 12 so 1+2 = 3 = digital root_
> 
> _“y’all” never played 999_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _played what_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)**  
>  _
> 
> _OH_
> 
> _THATS WHERE I HEARED THOSE WORDS_
> 
> _IM A FOOL_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _He audibly gasped when he read 999_
> 
> _What is that_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _video game._
> 
> _puzzles + escape (of the zero varity) + visual novel_
> 
> _(its a joke bc its the zero escape series)_
> 
> _(less of a joke now actually)_
> 
> _really great game_
> 
> _well_
> 
> _i probably like it WAY LESS now that we’re in this situation but_
> 
> _you know_
> 
> _it was_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _:(_
> 
> _the series is ruined for me now_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _not to interrupt but i think i got the words_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _OH THANK GOd_
> 
> _i don’t think i cold have taken more talking about this_
> 
> _could*_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _you dont wanna hear about video games mj?_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _not now you weirdo_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _thats “cold”_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _thats_
> 
> _dang it child_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _sorry :)_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _anyway...._
> 
> _Missing Words Numbers_
> 
> _there ya go_
> 
> _now somebody do this math for us:_
> 
> _298652 / 4_
> 
> _our calculators wont work and i cant mental math_
> 
> _we dont have any papers or pens_
> 
> _this is the worst_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _What kinda fucking number puzzle_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _74663_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _What the fuck_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _i played this game for weeks_
> 
> _and_
> 
> _im pretty sure that was a puzzle for the like 8th room?_
> 
> _that i struggled with mroe than any before or after it_
> 
> _more*_
> 
> _so i remember_
> 
> _hastag never forget_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _thanks_
> 
> _“hastag”  
>  _
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _don’t steal my jokes_
> 
> **_Message from: Eunwoo_ ** _(ALL)_
> 
> _your joke where you just put quotes around what others have said_
> 
> **_Message from: Moonbin_ _(ALL)_ **
> 
> _yes you heathen_
> 
> _OH MY GOD IT WORKED_
> 
> _also it’s reusing puzzles?_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _it probably didnt expect us to help each other this much_
> 
> _anyway thanks for the answers dongmin_
> 
> _we gotta solve this_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _no problem :)_

Jinwoon and Myungjun take the words-  _missing_ ,  _words_ , and  _numbers_ \- and think about them for a while. Jinwoo tries to consider what it is, and what they could have already seen that would tell them the answers. Next to him, Myungjun sits up, clapping his hands together.

“I got it!”

“What’s that?”

“All the stuff that’s missing, the number of letters in those words.”

“You think?”

“This is a puzzle- uh- game? Yeah, game works.” Myungjun shifts, uncomfortable calling their situation that. Jinwoo, too, doesn’t like it. “Anyway, after our dorms' puzzle I wouldn’t be surprised if it was something like that.”

“Right, so what’s missing?”

“Uh... the stairs and door, obviously.”

“Okay.” Jinwoo nods, frowning. “So six and four?”

“That’s not enough. It’s a four digit code.”

“Then something else is missing?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so?” Myungjun frowns, looking back into the living room from where they sit on the closet floor.

“Oh, the outlets?”

“Oh, right! Maybe wires too?”

“So six, four, seven, five?” Jinwoo frowns. “I’ll try it.” Jinwoo leans past Myungjun- who moves out of the way- and starts trying combinations of those three numbers. “Maybe see if you can find anything else missing?”

“Sure!” Myungjun pulls himself back to his feet, walking around Jinwoo and back into the living room. Jinwoo briefly glances at Myunjun. Myungjun has taken to walking around the room, arms outstretched as if he’ll somehow feel a difference.

“Be careful of everything you broke.”

“Will do!”

With that Jinwoo goes back to entering combinations of the numbers they have. He has no luck, and leans away from it with an annoyed huff.

“FLOWER!” Myungjun’s shouting startles Jinwoo. After placing a hand on his chest, and taking a deep breath, Jinwoo turns around to face where Myungjun is. “There should be flowers on the table, my mom always puts some there.”

“So another six. Or a seven if it’s plural.”

“Yep!”

Jinwoo sets to trying combinations with 7, first, since Myungjun mentioned there was more than one. To his luck, he doesn’t have to try  _every_ combination, because the lock clicks, relenting, after the third attempt.

“Oh thank god.”

“Did you do it?” Myungjun slides into place next to him, throwing an arm around Jinwoo’s shoulder.

“Yep.” Jinwoo nods, before opening the box. Inside is a key, this one sliver and on a key chain- though it’s the only one on it- which Jinwoo picks up. “Let’s hope this is out key to escape.”

“Was... that a pun?”

“Oh my god,  _no_. It was an accident.”

“ _Sure_.” Myungjun draws the word out as he rolls his eyes. Then he stands, and offers Jinwoo a hand up. The make their way to the door together- Myungjun careful of the broken shards they left near the door- and Jinwoo grabs the padlock.

“Please work.” Jinwoo pushes the key in, turning it. When the lock clicks, opening so they can pull it off of the glass pane and out of the wall, Jinwoo breathes a relieved sigh. Behind him, Myungjun cheers.

“We did it! I bet we might even be the first ones, this time.”

“Maybe.”

Jinwoo pushes on the glass pane, and it swings open on hinges that Jinwoo can’t see from where he is. Together, they enter the kitchen. Jinwoo glances at the glass pane- where it’s attached to the wall- before looking back at Myungjun. Myungjun moved past Jinwoo, once they got inside, and has taken to running his hands over the counters, frowning.

“You okay?”

“Yeah... it’s just weird, you know?” Myungjun asks, but he doesn’t actually seem to be looking for an answers. Jinwoo just nods at the rhetorical question. After a second of thought, Jinwoo reaches out and pats Myungjun’s shoulder.

“I can imagine.”

As if to distract them, their phones chime.

> **_Message from: |||| (J &M)_ **
> 
> _JinJin and MJ you have completed the second room and made it to the Kitchen_
> 
> _CongratulationS_
> 
> _Time Taken: 24min 18sec_
> 
> _Total Time Taken So Far (J &M): 49min 45sec_
> 
> _Earned: First Pair To Finish_
> 
> _Earned: Out Of Order_
> 
> _Earned: Communication_
> 
> _Please wait for all pair to finish, for full stats.  
>  _

Jinwoo frowns at the message, and Myungjun mutters a curse under his breath.

“Now what?”

“I mean... we’re supposed to wait.” Jinwoo may be the one to speak, but he’s just as unhappy with that answer as Myungjun seems to be.

They don’t have to worry about it, though, it seems. Jinwoo blinks, and takes a second to process that he’s  _on the floor,_  and another to realize that he’s,  _back in the dorm_. Or, at least, he’s in the  _replica_ of the dorm they were in before. Jinwoo sits up, finding Myungjun doing the same next to him. Myungjun groans, holding his head, and Jinwoo feels a twinge of empathy, his own head pounding.

“How- why- what the actual hell?” Myungjun mutters to himself, looking around.

“It seems like we’re back in the dorm? Well, the place that looks like it, at least.”

“Jinwoo! Myungjun!” Jinwoo startles at their names, turning to face where Bin and Dongmin are. Bin- the one who called out- drops down next to them. “Any idea how we got back here?”

“Not a singular clue.” Jinwoo shakes his head.

“Oh,” Dongmin says, pausing in the space between the living room and kitchen, and glancing to the side. “I found Minhyuk and Sanha.”

“So the gangs all here.” Myungjun stands.

Once everyone is awake again, they gather together. Jinwoo intends to ask about everyone’s last rooms, and about what they last remember, but is distracted by the chiming of their phones, once again.

> **_Message from: |||| (ALL)_ **
> 
> _The final pair has made it through._
> 
> _Personal statistics in pair chats._
> 
> _Final rating:_
> 
> _Fastest group: JinJin & MJ_
> 
> _Fastest overall group: Rocky & Sanha_
> 
> _Best teamwork:: Eunwoo & Moonbin_
> 
> _Overall best teamwork: Rocky & Sanha_

Jinwoo briefly wonders, not for the first time, what determines that. And, less briefly, he wonders why he and Myungjun are no longer the ones who have the, “best teamwork,” of all the pairs.

> _Shortest puzzle solving time: Eunwoo & Moonbin_
> 
> _Longest puzzle solving time: JinJin & MJ_
> 
> _Most Messages sent: Rocky & Sanha_
> 
> _Overall most messages sent: Rocky & Sanha_
> 
> _Least Messages sent: Eunwoo & Moonbin_
> 
> _Overall least messages sent: JinJin & MJ_
> 
> _Overall best performance (room 2): Rocky & Sanha_
> 
> _Overall worst performance (room 2): n/a_
> 
> _You have all made it too the Kitchen_
> 
> _Number of pairs that Failed to escape: 0_
> 
> _Difficultly_ _determined too easy. Now Applying TIME LIMIT to all future rooms._

> _Note: You may give up at any time by sacrificing your progress._

> _Please return to your dorm rooms withing [20] minutes to start the next round._

> _Failure to do so will result in further Difficulty inCrease._

“What does it mean the difficulty is too easy?!” Dongmin appears approximately two seconds away from throwing his phone.

“It keeps mentioning that none of us failed, so maybe that’s it? It expects some of us to give up?” Jinwoo offers, hoping the other will calm down

“But if we  _did_  give up, we’d lose our progress.” Sanha’s words are quiet, but the intent behind them is enough for tension to fall over the room. Losing progress. They still don’t have a  _confirmed_ answer for what that means, but it can’t be good if it caused Sanha to go missing. To be, according to messages sent from “Sanha” after Sanha went missing, “deleted.”

“Then we wont give up,” Minhyuk states, simply.

“Yeah!” Myungjun tries to sound enthusiastic, but Jinwoo can tell he’s forcing it. “Besides, there’s no more room in our dorm, so how much more could we have to do?”

“Why do you think the rooms in our dorm matter?” Bin asks, frowning at Myungjun.

“Because we made it to the where kitchens were, where we were, but ended up back in the dorm kitchen?”

“Oh!” Sanha gasps, seeming to catch onto what Myungjun is saying. “It’s still based on these rooms, even if we aren’t here!”

“That makes sense,” Dongmin starts, frowning in thought, “or else there’d be no point in putting us into another living room after making us get to the dorm’s.”

“So, what? Next is just to escape in general?” Minhyuk asks, tone incredulous.

“Maybe not? Technically there’s still one more room before we’ve been in all of them.”

“There is?”

“You know, with all the complaining we do about there only being one, you sure were quick to forget the bathroom existed,” Bin adds, motioning in the general direction of the door. They can’t actually see it from where they are. The wall that wasn’t originally part of their dorm is still between them and their rooms as well, as the bathroom’s, door.

“Oh.”

“Still, that’s only two!” Sanha seems to be taking queues from Myungjun, forcing enthusiasm. Unlike with Myungjun, where Jinwoo can recognize it based on knowing him so long, Sanha is just really bad at faking enthusiasm.

“Either way, we probably shouldn’t chance running out of time. We already got the difficulty increased,” Jinwoo says, effectively bring the conversation to an end.

They all shuffle back to the room the originally woke up in- in all but Sanha’s case, their own rooms- after exchanging words of agreement.

> **_Message from: ||||_ **
> 
> _onE cHance bef ore the n ext room_
> 
> _would you like to GIVE UP?_
> 
> _**Message to: ||||** _
> 
> _no_
> 
> **_Message from: ||||_ ** _**(ALL)** _
> 
> _it seems none of you wish to give up yet_
> 
> _you may give up at any time, in exchange for your progress_
> 
> _**Message from: ||||** _
> 
> _Because you ve all played so fair_
> 
> _I will allowe you to collectiveLY ask another question_
> 
> _Please ask in the next [40 seconds], JinJin._

Jinwoo hesitates- for just half a second- about what to ask. He, personally, wants to know how many rooms are left- to confirm their theory- but he said before they’d ask about progress this time. Neither question seems all that important, in the grand scheme of things, but one might ease someones worries, and the other his own. Beside him, after a quick glance, Jinwoo notice Myungjun isn’t having the same reaction.

If he was the only one it actually asked- even though it’s supposed to be a collective question- he has all the control over what question to ask. He doubts the others wont be told what he asked, as soon as he does, but they can’t stop him from asking one thing instead of the other. He vaguely thinks he'll feel guilty if he doesn't ask about progress, but he doesn't even  _know_ Sanha. He doesn't have much time to think about it, and decides to follow his gut in this situation.

This is probably the best thing to ask, right now.

> **_Message to: ||||_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you like to ASK ABOUT NUMBER OF ROOMS or ASK ABOUT THE MEANING OF PROGRESS  
> Nobody can stop him, but everyone will know.  
> Yes, this is a choice that will affect your ending. The last choice that did so was the one about keeping/changing pairs and hey, you got the good one on that so I have faith.  
> but please think carefully.
> 
> Originally I had a mid-room choice that would be important, but I couldn't fit it in the more I planned out this chapter, so I've saved it for something later :)
> 
> you have no idea the amount of self control it took not to just post this as soon as it was done.  
> also 999 (and the other zero escape games) is really good but i've never /actually/ played them I've only watched playthrough's, and then i've never FINISHED watching any of the games. so i have like half knowledge of all three games ha.  
> also me @ me: you missed a perfect chance to make the solution haiku related you're a disappointment  
> also i for some reason convinced myself outlets was 10 letters so like  
> i had to rewrite that entire section just now  
> oh god imagine if i didn't realize
> 
> the more of this i write the more I /want/ the good ending but like, I can't just change the results bc of what I want so now i'm stressed about a choice im not even making so like  
> i think that explains me p well as a person


	5. Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _  
> **Message from: Rocky (ALL)**  
>  _
> 
>  
> 
> _Lets keep helping each other as much as possible_
> 
>  
> 
> _We're all in this together_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)  
> majority voted to ask about progress

Sanha expects to near-immediately end up, “waking,” again to a new room of puzzles, as that’s been the case so far. However,  he and Minhyuk stand around the latter’s room for longer than expected.

The reason why is revealed when his phone chimes, messages from the still-unnamed entity responsible for this situation.

> **_Message from: |||| (ALL)_ **
> 
> _As representative of the collective of your dorm_
> 
> _JinJin has decided to ask “what does ‘progress’ and the loss of progress mean?”_
> 
> _Answer:_
> 
> _“Progress” represents all change and movement forward. In the case of this, progress means “the existence one currently maintains.” Losing- or sacrificing- progress means it will be deleted.  
>  _
> 
> _Progress deletion may also cause- in many cases- the deletion of the one possessing said progress._
> 
> _Usually this is a permanent sacrifice. However i wa s fe eling nice and this would have been Unfair had m Rocky been alone, so i restored SanHa’s progress_
> 
> _Time remaining before next room: [12] minutes_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _wait why did it give jinwoo control over that_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _i don’t know_
> 
> _but it only gave me ten seconds_
> 
> _so im sorry if anyone isnt happy with this question. we did promise sanha and minhyuk to ask about progress, though._
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _thank you_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _i guess thats fair_
> 
> _maybe we’ll get another chance next time anyway_
> 
> _to ask other things_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _yeah_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _are you okay, sanha?_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _well_
> 
> _i just found out i basically was “dead”_
> 
> _or didn’t exist_
> 
> _so_
> 
> _as good as i can be???_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _This whole thing is fucked up_
> 
> _I mean we already knew that_
> 
> _But just_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _yea_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _so if we “give up” we’ll do that too_
> 
> _and i bet if we fail to escape it’ll probably be like that too_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _let’s try not to get too stressed about it_
> 
> _which, i know is hard, but putting more pressure on us is probably whatever this is’s way of making this difficult for us_
> 
> _so we fail_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Lets keep helping each other as much as possible_
> 
> _We’re all in this together_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _yeah!_
> 
> _even if you didn’t actively do it, i owe you guys for uh_
> 
> _bringing me back? i guess would be the best way to say it_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _we’ll all get out of this together!_
> 
> _oh and in case this happens again we should decide what our next question will be_
> 
> _i vote “how far from the end are we”_
> 
> _unless it’s like “hey you made it to the last room” or something_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Would it be possible to restore progress if one of us failed_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _okay thats dark firstly_
> 
> _secondly we WONT fail_
> 
> _and lastly: im with mj on this_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _same_
> 
> _unless we already know that that point_
> 
> _in which case: why make us teams if this isn’t a_ _competition_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _oh! thats a good one_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _maybe its like a group project where you still get individual grades_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _seems like we already know the majority_
> 
> _“how many rooms are left”  
>  _
> 
> _and if we already know i vote “where are we actually”_
> 
> _or “why make us do it”_
> 
> _i don’t know, one of those_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _^agreed on all counts_
> 
> _i vote “where are we”_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _:/ Yeah i guess that makes sense, im okay with it_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _yeah me too!_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _okay! we know what to do then_

Sanha looks up from his phone, feeling off-balance, only to realize he’s no longer standing in Minhyuk’s dorm. In fact, the two of them are in a kitchen. Not a homes or dorms kitchen, but a large restaurant kitchen. He looks around, taking in his sudden new setting. This is the first time he hasn’t woken up to a new room, but rather blinked at was suddenly there.

MInhyuk seems to be having a similar amount of surprise and confusion going through his mind.

The kitchen has an open space spanning one wall, which looks like it  _should_  lead to an actual restaurant, but instead there’s a paining of one in the space. There’s a counter spanning the center, with stoves in it, and counters across the further wall, with sinks. There are spaces where doors clearly  _should_  be, labeled and everything, but most are missing. There aren’t even any doors leading to the side where the paining is, and there are two on the wall across from it.

One door has a lock on it, with a scanner. It’s starkly out of place in the kitchen, label above it saying it requires a finger print. Which, is strange enough as is, but especially so when the door is labeled “washroom.” On the other side of that wall is a door labeled “freezer.”

> **_Message from: |||| (ALL)_ **
> 
> _Everyone, you stand in a kitchen._
> 
> _What do you do?_
> 
> _Make it to the b Washroom_
> 
> _Time limit: 20 minutes_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _it didnt send us all our own things_
> 
> _that’s weird_
> 
> **_Message from: JinJin (ALL)_ **
> 
> _quick where is everyone_
> 
> _we’re in a restaurant kitc hen?_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _us too_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Same_
> 
> _Finger print scanner on the door you need?_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _yes_
> 
> **_Message to: ALL_ **
> 
> _maybe its one of those thing where ya gotta re-program it to accept yours_
> 
> _that or the freezer is_
> 
> _worrying_
> 
> _**Message from: Moonbin (ALL)** _
> 
> _god i hope its the former_
> 
> _lets all keep each other updated on what we find as soon as we do_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _seems like its just giving us all the same thing again_
> 
> _like the first time_
> 
> _at least similar stuff_
> 
> _so yeah_
> 
> _keep updated_
> 
> _but we should probably start_
> 
> _time limit and all_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _good luck_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why is this chapter from sanha's perspective? I have no idea it just sorta happened  
> anyway
> 
> Vote which pair you want to follow next  
> All their rooms/puzzles are the same so  
> you know
> 
> **EDIT: voting for this chapter is closed, now. I have the next chapter planned out I just... need to actually write it, which I'm somehow finding more difficult than I feel I should.**
> 
> (honestly id be shocked if y'all didnt want to see bin and dongmin since weve followed everyone else but i digress)
> 
> also this chapter was slightly delayed (sorry) but the next one will be....even more delayed (i'm so sick guys i coughed so hard i almost threw up and my ears started ringing)  
> also tell me if there are any major errors bc my head hurts too much to edit more than i already have
> 
> also sorta a spoiler? (not really????) but if you had voted to ask about rooms you would have gotten this gem of a line from rocky: "I told him not to thank you for saying no but what i should have said was not to thank you for lying to him"  
> so like  
> that's what you're missing out on (it's literally the only line i had ready for the other route bc by the time i was finished planning this one the majority vote was pretty clear)


	6. Room 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> __**Message to: ALL**  
>  hey so theres a room behind that painting  
> so if anyone wants to  
> check that out
> 
>  
> 
> __**Message from: Rocky (ALL)**  
>  You? Do it??
> 
>  
> 
> __**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)**  
>  but we’re in the middle of looking through all these cabinets  
> there are so many  
> one group should really focus on that, so why not us?
> 
>  
> 
> __**Message from: MJ (ALL)**  
>  you’re a liar and a coward!  
> which, you know, relatable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shows up six months late with this chapter: yeah i have no explanation. I got sick, got less sick, lost motivation, and then didn't write this until today.  
> but if you even think comments don't matter to creators just know that the only reason I finally got to writing this is bc i got a comment and went "oh fuck how long has it been" so like.
> 
> Please let me know if you find any errors, Since i wrote this chapter all at once (instead of over, like, 4 writing sessions like I usually do.
> 
> EDIT: i forgot to say you guys voted for Eunwoo and Moonbin to be the pair for this chapter.

A few things become immediately obvious, upon beginning their search of the kitchen. Firstly: the freezer sits as an intimidating place, without any knowledge about what’s in it. Secondly: the fingerprint scanner has no obvious way of changing it’s settings, and neither Bin or Dongmin’s fingerprints work. A few messages to the others proves the same of all of them, to no ones surprise. Thirdly: the painting that takes the place of where a window out into a restaurant should be, is sunken into the wall, rather than hanging on top of it.

“Well,” Bin starts, taking another glance around them, “where do we start?”

“The painting seems odd. There wasn’t any problem covering windows at... the last location, so why go through the trouble here, right?” Dongmin’s hesitation to mention the previous escape venture is something Bin understands, and decides against mentioning, since he knows he wouldn’t be any better.

“Okay, so what? Should we try to find some way to remove it?” Bin glances at the painting, then back to Dongmin, who’s opened a cabinet. “Uh?”

“Yeah, yeah, remove it.” The dismissive nature of the response has Bin frowning.

“What?”

Then, with seemingly no hesitance, Dongmin pulls a pan out of the cabinet, and throws it at- through, actually- the painting.

“Dude!”

“What? We’re on a time limit.”

“Still!” Bin huffs a sigh, before moving closer to examine the hole in the painting. Or, rather, what’s behind it. Which is a small, dark, room, filled with boxes. “Okay, yeah, this whole situation is creepy but that is  _straight_  horror movie right? I’m not imagining it?”

“Yeah.”

“Should we... investigate it?”

“Or.”

“Or?” Bin turns back to Dongmin, raising an eyebrow.

“Ask someone to investigate their version of it, while we look through  _all these cabinets_.” 

“Perfect, I knew there was a reason we were friends.”

> **_Message to: ALL_ **
> 
> _hey so theres a room behind that painting_
> 
> _so if anyone wants to_
> 
> _check that out_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _You? Do it??_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _but we’re in the middle of looking through all these cabinets_
> 
> _there are so many_
> 
> _one group should really focus on that, so why not us?_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _you’re a liar and a coward!_
> 
> _which, you know, relatable_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _...._
> 
> _i’ll check_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _thanks!_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _oh we should have all taken separate things to start with!_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _yeah that probably would have made sense_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Okay well you guys have those things covered so_
> 
> _Uhhh yeah ok we’ll check the freezer_
> 
> **_Message from: Sanha (ALL)_ **
> 
> _pray for us_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _can’t be worse than behind the painting_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _gee thanks bin_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _:)_

So, cabinets. They exist, and there are a lot of them. Bin isn’t even really sure where to start. Aimlessly, he begins making his way to open one, when Dongmin speaks up to stop him.

“Why don’t we both start on opposite corners and make our way around the room?”

It makes sense, really, so Bin nods. Once Dongmin has made his way to the corner furtherest away from the freezer, Bin moves over the the one closest to it, and they start working their way around the room, until they reach each other’s corners. They don’t have the time to be incredibly thorough, so they don’t bother trying to be, but the cabinets are mostly pans and dishware, anyway. Drawers have utensils and it’s easy to glance a these things and go, “not worth further investigation,” immediately.

Within what must be only a few minutes, they’ve searched everything, and found a few things of note.There are some vials of coloured liquids- red, blue, green, yellow, and purple- two of each colour, two empty vials, and, for some reason, a ice tray with a post-it note stuck to it that says, “please fill," and signed by a unreadable name.

Which, Bin thinks, can’t be irrelevant considering their situation.

“As improtant as all this feels...” Dongmin trails off.

“Yeah. We can’t really do much without more info.”

As if on cue, the familiar- yet still startling- chime of their phones draws their attention.

> **_Message from: JinJin (ALL)_ **
> 
> _okay so there are like a hundred boxes in here and i hate my life_
> 
> _but i found a chart that missing information_
> 
> _and a scale?_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _chart?_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _scale?_
> 
> _**Message from: JInJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _yeah the chart has a weight section, so i figure the scales important. it’s real small so it’s probably food related or something. i don’t know._
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _the chart says, “for code” at the top??? which is_
> 
> _i mean i’m not upset for the obviousness but man_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _not that knowin that helps much bc we don’t have a code or the rest of the chart_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _No the code part might make sense._
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _yep! in the freezer there’s these two boxes, one says  “instant freezer” and the other has this empty space for square blocks, with numbers above them?_
> 
> _its not exactly a code, in my opinion, but maybe thats what it means?_
> 
> **_Message from: MJ (ALL)_ **
> 
> _well there we go!_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _so the other part? what’s on the chart_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _just a second typing takes a bit_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _okay._

The amount of time it takes, Bin isn’t entirely sure- starting at his phones clock only tells him that it definitely doesn’t work, since it still says it’s around the time they originally woke up- but it feels like forever with their time limit hanging over their heads. He can tell the wait is getting to Dongmin, too, if the other's crossed arms and tapping fingers says anything.

> **_Message from: JinJin (ALL)_ **
> 
> _all of the left, vertical side, is missing, and the top has a list of number (1-9) going across it and that part says “weight”. there is 1 x in each of the numbers rows, but what they’re indicating idk bc the other part of the chart is missing, like i said. so we’ll just tell you how many boxes down_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _1 - none / 2 - none / 3 - 1 / 4 - 5 / 5 - 3 / 6 - n / 7 - 2 / 8 - 4 / 9 - 6_
> 
> _n is none i got lazy_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _okay so we just have to figure out if there’s 6 thing to weigh and there we go_
> 
> _since the numbers on the box are “5 3 8 4 7 9″ i think it’s safe to say they’re related!_
> 
> _and it probably involves freezing bc what else would that instant freeze box be for?_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _ok well i have an idea. nows a good time to mention what we found_
> 
> _bin?_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _ok?_
> 
> _yeah we found a bunch of vials of liquid (and some empty) and an ice tray_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _maybe the liquids are the missing part of the chart and colour = weight_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _where were they?_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _in the cabinets uhhh the two on either side of the paining, the one closest to the washroom door and????_

Bin glances and Dongmin, looking for help. The other pauses, thinking, before nodding at him.

> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _the one in the right-most bottom cabinet if you’re looking at the painting._
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _okayy how many are there?_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _uh 5? and then the empty ones._
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Alright and where was the scale?_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _back left of the room behind the painting_
> 
> _the box on the bottom of that stack._
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _so what about the sixth number though??_

Bins attention is drawn away from the coversation, when Dongmin climbs up onto the counter next to the painting.

“Dude. What are you doing?”

“Well we can’t get the scale without going in there.”

“Still.”

He can’t see the other’s face, but Bin is pretty sure Dongmin rolls his eyes at that, before ripping more of the painting aside and climbing through. There’s a crash, like something fell over, and a startled shout.

“You okay?”

“It’s really dark, okay.”

“If you say so...”

A discussion about having maybe missed something goes on in the chat, while Bin holds the paining aside, to give Dongmin more light. Eventually, Dongmin emerges back from the small room, holding a small scale. 

“Did they figure out the sixth thing yet?”

Bin glances back down at his phone, shaking his head. “Nope.”

“Maybe we missed something? I’d say there could be something in the fridge, but I couldn’t open it when I tried while we were looking.”

“Do the sinks work?”

“Huh?” Dongmin snaps his gaze to Bin, looks genuinely startled.

“What?”

“I... didn’t check.”

“Neither did I.”

There’s a second pause, before Bin hurriedly makes his way to one of the sinks, and turns it on. To his surprise, it actually works, water flowing from the faucet.

“So....” Bin glances at the water, then Dongmin, then the water again.

“Maybe the sixth one is water?”

“Maybe.”

Relaying this theory gets mixed reactions.

> **_Message from: Rocky (ALL)_ **
> 
> _Thats really simple_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _...........nooooo_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _of course! it’s so simple you might overlook it, and waste time_
> 
> _as expected of one of these...kinds of_
> 
> _games_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _either way, now we test our theories, right?_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _right!_

So, they do that. Dongmin picks up one of the filled vials, and places it on the scale, while Bin moves the fill an empty one with water.

“Five.”

“What?”

“Red is five,” Dongmin says, picking up said vial and setting it aside. “What was the order?”

“Um.” Bin sets the now-filled vial of water aside, to check.  _5 3 8 4 7 9_. “Five, three, eight, four, seven, nine.”

“Okay.” Dongmin nods, trying blue next. “That’s nine.”

Dongmin places blue aside, to grab green, and Bin takes it upon himself to put them in order, once Dongmin as weighed them. “Does this seem... easier?”

“A bit, yeah.” Dongmin nods, setting down the last of the vials- the one of water- with a sigh. “It could be because we had everyone working together. Or...”

“Or this isn’t all.”

“Yep.”

Together, the two of them poor the vials into separate parts of the ice tray, filling up one side of it. Then they make their way to the freezer they’d been avoiding. It doesn’t make much sense to avoid it, Sanha and Minhyuk had apparently been in there and found nothing horrible enough to warrant telling them about it. Yet, with everything else going on, and that had happened to them over the night- or day, or however long it had actually been- Bin still found himself unsettled by it.

It’s a feeling he forces himself to ignore, as he opens the door for Dongmin. The boxes they were told about sit obviously against the far wall. One- the one with the slots for, presumably, the cubes they were supposed to make- was purple, with metal plating around it. It was somehow smaller than he expected, only about a foot long at most, in any direction. The other was a bit bigger, coming up to his waist, and true to Sanha’s word, had, “instant freezer,” engraved on the top of it. It was a light blue, which Bin thinks is probably fitting. Its door has a latch, and a singular button on it. Bin opens the door to this box, and Dongmin puts the the ice tray in it. The two share a glance, before they close it and hit the button on it’s front.

The whole thing feels... weird. If it had been a game- a normal, not messed up game- then it probably wouldn’t have. But suspending your disbelief of something is significantly more difficult when it’s real life. Bin finds himself feeling _more_  unsettled by the, “instant freezer,” than he had ending up in a restaurant kitchen when he was, only second previous, in his dorm. 

A beep- piercing in it’s pitch- goes off, and the instant freezer swings open. As it’s name would suggest, it froze the liquids into cubes, leaving only one thing to do. Put them in the respective slots on the other box.

“Do you remember the order?” Bin asks, as Dongmin picks up the ice tray.

“You put them in order, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So I don’t need to.” Dongmin grins, twisting the ice tray until a cracking sound indicates the ice being freed from the tray. Then, one by one, he places the colourful ice-cubes into the slots in the box. Red, clear, green, purple, yellow, blue.

As soon as the blue cube is placed into the final slot, the box dings, a green light on it’s side turns on- one Bin hadn’t noticed until then- and a clicking sound can be heard briefly from it.

“Think that means it opened?”

Dongmin’s question probably doesn't require an answer, but Bin gives a small, “yeah,” in response. Then, he kneels next to the box, as Dongmin pulls it open.

Then, both he and Dongmin fall back in surprise. The latter makes a startled sound, and rolls over so he can push himself to his feet, and move the far side of the room. Bin, on the other hand, finds himself frozen, staring at what’s inside the box.

A hand.

An _actual_ _hand_.

It certainly doesn’t look fake at least, and the wrist- where the body part ends- is wrapped up so he couldn’t see if it was anyway. Not like he really feels into the idea of checking if it’s real or not.

“I absolutely, one-hundred percent, am not touching that,” Dongmin says so with such certainty that Bin doesn’t think he could convince him to change his mind. Unfortunately, the other option is for  _Bin_  to take it upon himself to pick it up.

Which, _no_ , he’s not exactly a fan of that.

“Well I can’t pick it up!”

“Someone has to!”

Chiming draws their attention, but Bin hesitates to take his eyes off of the hand, and look at his phone. It’s not that he wants to look at it, so much as he can’t  _not_  look at it.

Still, he forces himself to look at his phone instead.

> **_Message from: MJ (ALL)_ **
> 
> _i have a new favourite hero and also if you haven’t opened that box yet hey_
> 
> _man_
> 
> _prepare yourself_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Too late_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _oh my god oh m god howehoifh my whefoi god_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _oh, good, we’re all at that part yeah_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _what_
> 
> _the fuck_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _gets worse_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _H OW_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _so the fingerprints_
> 
> _they work but_
> 
> _the scanner requires_
> 
> _heat_
> 
> _also_
> 
> _or it wont open_
> 
> _ha_
> 
> _wow_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _no_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _i didn’t come back to life for this_
> 
> _**Message from: Rocky (ALL)** _
> 
> _Dnt make jokes about that_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _he hit me_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _with his own hand or_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _Obviously what_
> 
> _WHATS WRONG WITH YOU JINWOO_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _just making sure_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _so how....do you.........._
> 
> _solve the heat problem_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _well its a kitchen and there are pots & water_
> 
> _so jinwoo’s boiling the hand_
> 
> _you know_
> 
> _like_
> 
> _you do_
> 
> _god i hate this i hate ahhhhhhhhhhhh_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _how about_
> 
> _i just_
> 
> _die_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _would not recommend_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _well if you’ll excuse me_
> 
> _ihave to vomit_
> 
> _and also_
> 
> _warm_
> 
> _ugh_
> 
> _the hand_
> 
> _hhhhhhhhrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm_
> 
> **_Message from: MJ (ALL)_ **
> 
> _be brave_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _says the one standing in an entirely different room from the hand_
> 
> _**Message from: MJ (ALL)** _
> 
> _i value my mental health thanks_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _relateable_

_Right, so,_ Bin thinks, _that hand sure is a thing that exists._ He glances once more at Dongmin, who backs out of the freezer entirely. Cool, not like he expected anything else.

“Maybe this is karma for the vent,” Bin mutters, reaching out towards the hand. He hesitates, pulls his hand back, tries again, does the same again. “Come on, you gotta do this.”

Finally, he forces himself to wrap his hand around the other hand, and pick it up. He jumps to his feet, holding it, and holds his arm out as far as he can.

“Ha, that wasn’t that bad,” Bin says, to himself, knowing that’s a lie.

Panic settles in his chest. He’d been trying to ignore that feeling so far. The panic that hits him with every weird, or creepy, or otherwise unsettling thing. But, this is far stronger than that. His arm shakes as he rushes out of the freezer, the quicker he can be not-holding the hand, the better.

He finds that a pot of water is already sitting on the stove, and Dongmin is standing in the far corner.

“You can’t say I didn’t help,” Dongmin says, motioning towards the pot. Bin wants to argue with that- because filling a pot with water is far from equal to picking up a  _severed hand-_ but decides to leave that alone, dropping the hand into the water. The stove is on, lights indicating it’s heating the water, so he just stands back.

Briefly Bin considers washing his hands, but then thinks that he’ll just have to grab the hand again, and decides against it. “Hey, uh, I’ll need something to get it out of the water.”

Movement draws Bin’s eyes to where Dongmin has started going through some of the drawers again. Presumably to find just that.

“Uh, tongs?”

“Yeah, sure, that works.” At Bin’s response, Dongmin tosses said tongs to Bin, who barely manages to catch them. “Thanks.”

“Uh- yep, no problem.”

When steam starts to rise off of the water, Bin removes the hand from the water. After a second in which he leaves it on the counter next to the stove, wondering if it’s to hot to pick up, Bin finally picks it back up. It’s hot, that’s for sure, and he’s glad he didn’t let the water get to boiling.

Bin rushes towards the fingerprint scanner, and feels a level of relief he never has before when it indicates the prints were excepted and the door can open. He waste no time pulling it open, and breathes a sigh.

“Well that.... could have been worse?”

“...You should wash your hands.”

“Yeah, okay, you’re welcome.” Bin glares back at Dongmin, who shrugs.

“Thank you?”

Bin nods, tosses the hand onto the nearest counter without a second thought. He didn’t want to think about it in the first place, anyway. Then makes his way through the doorway.

The washroom in question is... very empty. there’s another door, across from them. that looks welded shut, a sink to the right, and a singular stall to the left.

“I don’t know what I expected,” Bin starts, frowning, “but not this?”

“Yeah.”

Bin moves to wash his hands- become, honestly, Dongmin wasn’t wrong about that- while his phone chimes with what he guesses is another set of statistics. After the fourth time rinsing his hands off- and subsequently using more soap and going through the process again- Bin realizes he’s probably  _never_  going to feel like his hands are clean again, and looks at his phone.

> **_Message from: |||| (E &M)_ **
> 
> _Eunwoo and Moonbin you have completed the t hird room and made it to the b wash room_
> 
> _ConGradulation s_
> 
> _Time taken: 18mins 38sec_
> 
> _Total time so far (E &M): 68min 59sec_
> 
> _Earned: n/a_
> 
> _Earned: N/a_
> 
> _Earned: not_ _available_
> 
> _Please wait for, all pairs to finish, for full statistics_

“Is it just me or... does this seem like it’s getting...”

“More errors?” Dongmin asks, a frown forming on his face. “Yeah, I’ve been noticing for a while.”

“I wonder why...”

“I don’t think trying to figure it out will do us much good.”

“I guess not.”

Unlike the other times, Bin doesn’t wake back in the dorm, but blinks and finds himself there. It’s the same as when he ended up in the kitchen, and is strange. No more strange than waking up there, he guesses, but it feels weird that it would suddenly change like that.

He glances around his and Dongmin’s shared room again, as if something would have changed. But, it seems, nothing had.

> **_Message from: JinJin (ALL)_ **
> 
> _hey so we all back_
> 
> _also_
> 
> _guys i really hope that hand wasn’t real bc it just hit me that i TOUCHED IT what if it was real holy shit_
> 
> **_Message from: Rocky (ALL)_ **
> 
> _It only JUST hit you?_
> 
> _Also yes we’re back_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _us too._
> 
> _**Message from: |||| (ALL)** _
> 
> _The final pair has made it through.Personal statistics in pair chats._
> 
> _Final rating:Fastest group: JinJin & MJ_
> 
> _Fastest overall group: Rocky & Sanha_
> 
> _Best teamwork:: JinJin & MJ_
> 
> _Overall best teamwork: Rocky & Sanha  
>  _
> 
> _Shortest puzzle solving time: N/A_
> 
> _Longest puzzle solving time: N/A_
> 
> _Most Messages sent: N/A_
> 
> _Overall most messages sent: Rocky & Sanha_
> 
> _Least Messages sent: ???_
> 
> _Overall least messages sent: JinJin & MJ_
> 
> _Overall best performance (room 3): JinJin & MJ_
> 
> _Overall worst performance (room 3): n/a_
> 
> _You have all made it too the Washroom_
> 
> _Number of pairs that Failed to escape: 0  
>  _
> 
> _Welcome To the finAl room_
> 
> _rooms_
> 
> _Before we continue, would you like to Give Up?_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha (ALL)** _
> 
> _no. stop asking_
> 
> _**Message from: |||| (ALL)** _
> 
> _you may give up at any time_
> 
> _**Message to: ALL** _
> 
> _we wont_
> 
> **_Message from: |||| (ALL)_ **
> 
> _well, you have all done_
> 
> _very well,_
> 
> _you may ask 1 question collectively_
> 
> _**Message from: JinJin (ALL)** _
> 
> _Where are we, actually?_
> 
> _**Message from: |||| (ALL)** _
> 
> _in your dorm & in the game_
> 
> _of course_
> 
> _**Message from: Eunwoo (ALL)** _
> 
> _what do you MEAN “of course’ that doesnt make sense this isn’t our real dorm_
> 
> _**Message from: |||| (ALL)** _
> 
> _i didnt say it was._
> 
> _you only got one question. moving on._
> 
> _Final Escape: The dorm as a whole. All of you may work together, in person, this time._
> 
> _Time limit didn’t seem to make any of you fail, so, it’s been removed._
> 
> _Escape the Final_

True to it’s words, Bin and Dongmin exit their room, to find all the others. And, at the door to their dorm, the entrance, four locks presumably keep them trapped inside. Bin is fairly sure they weren’t there before, even within this not-quite-right dorm, but it’s certainly not the weirdest thing he’s seen thus far.

“Well,” Myungjun draws everyone’s attention. “Where do we start?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since all the groups are together, Instead of asking which of them you want to follow, this chapter's question is:  
> Which member do you want to follow between all of them?
> 
> thank you for reading and being patient with my absence.


	7. Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s a game!” Sanha’s voice cracks, and he spins to face Minhyuk fully, arms spread to motion around them. “This whole thing is a game to- to whatever is doing this to us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALWAYS YOU IS SO GOOD Y'ALL
> 
> Okay, so, hey. I told you I would update sooner (I think) than last time. This chapter is rather short, because It's not really the beginning of the final puzzle(s). Originally this was just going to be a part of that, but I really wanted to get this out there. Andddd more in the end notes okay?
> 
> Rocky won (by one vote).

Progress, deleted, progress, deleted. Ever since they found out the reality behind those words- expected, but still sickening to hear- Minhyuk hasn’t be able to push the words out of his head. They were easier to ignore between puzzles and other questions, but they were still there. Repeating.

Sanha had been  _dead_  as far as the world could be concerned. Minhyuk wouldn’t have ever seen him again, were it not for their current situation.

He wonders what will happen when everything is over.

_But_ , Minhyuk reminds himself, it isn’t the time for that. There are other things to think about, to focus on. Like how everyone is finally together again, able to work with each other without the delay of messages. Or how strange their current situation was, even considering the “game,” so far.

“Why?” He can’t help but voice the question ringing in his head.

“Why...what?” Sanha asks, partially turning away from where the others are checking on each other. They’d likely turn their attention to Sanha and Minhyuk soon, if he had to guess.

“Why suddenly be so...” _nice_ isn’t the word Minhyuk wants to use. “Why give us an advantage now? It’s tried at every chance to make things more difficult or turn this into a competition. So why _now_? Why let us work together  _now_?”

“It’s a game.” Sanha’s statement is simple, shouldn’t mean anything, but the softness with which he speaks- a softness uncharacteristic of Sanha- shocks Minhyuk.

“ _What_?” Minhyuk raises his voice, question coming out harsh. The others turn to face them, likely catching this.

“It’s a game!” Sanha’s voice cracks, and he spins to face Minhyuk fully, arms spread to motion around them. “This  _whole thing_  is a game to- to whatever is doing this to us. Increase the challenge of each room. Increase the challenge if it’s too easy. Give control to one person, to try and make things more difficult for us if- if we start fighting. Restore  _progress_ to keep the game  _fair_. It’s a game! This room- this entire thing- must be more difficult. So it wouldn’t be  _fair_  if it didn’t. It’s a  _game_.”

Minhyuk has known Sanha a long time. Been friends with him a long time. And, seen him return from being missing, confused and scared. But the tone of Sanha’s voice- the hurt and fear- is new.

“Right...”

“Even if it’s more difficult,” Jinwoo speaks, breaking the tension that’s formed between Sanha and Minhyuk, “we’re going to win, okay? Together, all of us. We- uh- we don’t really know you, Sanha, but that includes you, okay?”

“Yeah.” Sanha nods, having gone quiet.

“Uh, so, where do we start?” Myungjun asks, reminding everyone that they still haven’t done  _anything_  as far as trying to escape the final, “room,” yet. 

“Well, why don’t we check our rooms again, first? Since those are the only rooms we’ve actually been able to look in, they should take the least amount of time,” Dongmin suggests.

“Right, uh, so our usual pairs?” At Bin’s question, everyone pauses briefly.

“Well, why not?” Jinwoo shrugs. “I mean, those pairs each explored their own rooms, it wouldn’t make sense to send someone into a room they haven’t been in. Especially when the whole thing he just said was that they were already explored by the people looking in them.”

“Yeah, right. Makes sense.”

“Uh-” Myungjun starts, then pauses like he doesn’t know if he should say what he wants to- “hey, Minhyuk, Sanha, are you two... okay?”

“Uh...” Sanha glances at Minhyuk, unsure. In return, Minhyuk nods, trying to smile. “Yeah, I think so.”

“Okay...”

With that, everyone returns to their respective rooms, to double-check them.

“Hey...” Sanha mutters, aimlessly moving things around Minhyuk’s desk.

“Yeah?”

“You don’t- you don’t think my- er- progress being restored was just for the game, do you? Like... I’ll- if we make it out, will I still be okay?”

Minhyuk freezes. He doesn’t know. He hasn’t gotten the sense that whatever’s controlling their situation does things pointlessly, but can he really trust that? Can he honestly say for sure that, that’s the case? “Yes. I doubt it brought you back just to do that for no reason. It wouldn’t- uh- serve any purpose to the game. Sorta ruin it, honestly.”

"Sorta ruin it, honestly,” Sanha repeats back, laughing. “That’s such a casual way to say, “you probably wont die,” I’ve ever heard.”

“You hear that a lot, or?”

“Not that I’m aware of, no.” Sanha sets down a book- one of Minhyuk’s textbooks- and faces him with a smile. “Thanks.”

“Sure thing. And, Sanha?”

"Yeah?"

"Not if, _when_. When we get out."

"Right. When." Sanha nods. “And- uh- I don’t think anything’s changed here?”

“Yeah, doesn’t look like it.”

They return the living room, and are soon joined by everyone else. A quick check says that they all had the same results. Said results being nothing.

“Okay, then, what now?”

“Uh- I hate to be the one to say this, since we’re all able to work together now, but...” Jinwoo starts, frowning, “maybe we should all take certain parts of the dorm, and search on our own?”

“You have a point, on both counts.” Dongmn sighs. “It would be quicker.”

“Let’s do that, then,” Minhyuk says, nodding.

If this really was supposed to be the final room, the final part of the game, then there was no point in doing things less effectively. Temporarily feeling better about the situation, versus getting out sooner? Minhyuk would take the latter. It seemed everyone agreed, too, based on the nods he got in return.

"It's decided then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Save my boys. Even though I wrote this so I did this to them...huh.
> 
> **Okay! SO I have a few important things to say here in the notes, please bear with me?**
> 
> 1) Sanha only lost this chapters vote by 1, so I decided to split the first part of the final room up, into this & the puzzle, so that both sides of the vote win! (since only those two got votes...)  
> 2) the final room will be broken into 3 (probably) chapters. Since I A) want to update quicker and B) don't want 1 HUGE chapter since there are more puzzles in the final "room"
> 
> 3) uhhh so I accidentally wrote an 8k+ story ("accidentally" I say as it took 7 months...). So if you like Eunwoo/Moonbin and wanna read me writing them in an au where Eunwoo is a prince and Bin is made his adviser check that out. (A True Reason: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15370392 ). Basically Eunwoo as a prince is really used to people lying to him to try and get on his good side or out of fear, but then Bin is made his adviser and goes "wow you're a disaster and it's my job to help you" and doesn't do that. It's cute? I think it's cute. It's definitely a stark contrast to whatever the fuck is going on in this story.
> 
> 4) It's taking me a while to figure out the puzzles for this room, because professor layton didn't prepare me for this well enough, so uh, that's also a reason for breaking up the final room. So there should be 4 more chapters? We'll see.
> 
> 5) ALWAYS YOU WAS SO FUCKING GOOD  
> 6) also youtube recommended me a video (a clips from when astro was on weekly idol) titled "god didn't give him everything" and the thumbnail was eunwoo and i still laugh when i think about that title & thumbnail combination bc i'm loser.


	8. Final (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part of Sanha wonders if getting though the game so quickly is why he, of all people, ended up in this situation. Why his real life started being used in the game, back then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey look at me updating like a normal person
> 
> I'm definitely getting sick again, but I don't think I'll start running a fever that keeps me from writing anytime soon
> 
> uh there wasn't a vote so......here we go?

Everyone separates, after a brief moment, to search the dorm. All they know so far is that there are four locks on the door. Like with the boxes from the living-room puzzles, each lock on the door is a different kind. All but one of the locks are padlocks, and the door handle is now missing the locking mechanism that it would normally have. 

The bottom-most one is a normal key lock. The one above it a number-based combination lock. The second from the top is an electric combination lock, again using numbers, and is the only one that isn’t some sort of padlock. Finally, the top-most one is another combination lock, this time with colours in place of numbers.

Based on the space of each room, the group splits up into three groups of one, two, and three. Myungjun is the first to take off, on his own. Sanha can hear him tossing things into the bathtub as he searches the bathroom, likely tossing aside anything he deems useless to their escape.

The “kitchen” has been taken up by Dongmin and Bin, who have each taken one side of it, searching through their respective sides. The place can barely been called a kitchen, with only a counter separating it from the entrance way, and nothing but different flooring to separate it from the living area.

As for the living area itself: Sanha, Minhyuk, and Jinwoo take to searching it. Or, really, they all start then immediately take to avoiding the elephant in the room. Said metaphorical elephant being the box sitting under the coffee table, clearly just waiting to be examined. None of them seem keen on this, though, after the last box they opened.

Eventually, after a few seconds, Jinwoo breathes a sigh and kneels down the pull the box out from under the table. His action causes Sanha and Minhyuk to finally move, breaking out of their hesitance. Minhyuk kneels next to Jinwoo, looking over the box, while Sanha stands behind the two.

The box is black, short enough to fit under the table, but long enough that it takes up most of the space under it. On the side facing them, there’s a button, which looks like it should be pushed in order to open the box. Sanha would doubt it was that simple just based on their situation, and in this instance it’s pretty obvious that it wont be that simple, anyway. On top of the box is a indention where five square slates sit, three on the row closest to them, two on the row "above" it, and one space where a sixth would be is missing on the top-left. The slates are silver, and the pattern on them- a mess of seemingly random lines- is gold, and engraved into the slates. Under the slates, a grid of indentations can be seen because of the empty space, the indentations going through the center of each area.

“Okay, _so_ , what do we do with this?” Jinwoo asks, turning the box to check of anything else. There doesn’t seem to be anything else, though; the rest of its sides are just pained black, aside from the hinges on the opposite side of the button.

“Is it heavy?” Sanha asks, though he expects the answer to be a, “no,” based on the ease with which Jinwoo turns it over.

“A little? Not enough that it could be holding anything super heavy.”

“So, we might as well make sure it wont just open, right?” Minhyuk asks, wasting no time pressing the button and trying to pull the lid up. It doesn’t work, and he huffs out a sigh. “Yeah, that’s what I expected.”

“Well, this looks like one of those sliding puzzles, right?” Sanha offers, finally kneeling next to the others, on Jinwoo’s other side. Minhyuk raises and eyebrow at him, silently questioning the choice, but Sanha just shrugs. Despite the situation, Sanha was eager to have human contact outside of just Minhyuk, for the first time in what he now knew was weeks.

“Okay, but can you even tell what should connect to what?” At Minhyuk’s question, Sanha shrugs again. Then he shakes his head. He can’t. None of the lines at the bottom of any of the slates seem to line up with the tops of others, which is where he would have started.

Jinwoo reaches forward, setting his hand on one of the slates- presumably to slide it over- only to have it sink down under the weight. Nothing seems to change, at that, so they don’t seem to be buttons of any sort, and when Jinwoo lifts his hand in surprise, the slate returns to its original position. “Well.”

“Well, what?”

“That sure is a thing.”

“Thanks Jinwoo, you’ve been a big help.” Minhyuk sighs, and Jinwoo smacks him on the arm halfheartedly. 

Sanha, on the other hand, reaches forward to press down on one of the slates, and test his new theory. Maybe they spin. When the slate sinks down, he tries to turn it, instead of sliding it, and to his surprise, it actually works. The space given by existing underneath the other slates allowing it to turn, which it couldn’t have in the perfectly fitting space it sat in, originally. Unfortunately, this also complicates things, since any side of any slate could line up with any side of any other slate.

“Good news,” Sanha starts, “we can turn them.”

“Bad news: that makes this more difficult?” Jinwoo asks.

“Yeah, basically.”

“Sanha, you think you can handle this?” Minhyuk leans around Jinwoo, to look at Sanha.

“Probably, with enough time. Why?”

“We-” Minhyuk motions between himself and Jinwoo- “should search for anything else in the living room.”

“Right, okay, leave it to me!” Sanha nods. He drops to sit on the floor completely, and slides closer to the box. Minhyuk nods, pats one of Sanha’s hands, then stands. Jinwoo follows suit, and the two split up to search the living room while Sanha works on the puzzle in front of him.

The puzzle isn’t that complicated, in theory. Mostly it’s tedious. A lot of trial and error to account for the fact that visualizing how things fit together is the thing Sanha struggles the most with, when it comes to puzzles. Still, he had gotten though the original game pretty quickly for a reason. Before it started involving stuff from his real life.

Part of Sanha wonders if getting though the game so quickly is why he, of all people, ended up in this situation. Why his real life started being used in the game, back then. It doesn’t feel like so long ago, either, still a fresh sense of unsettling.

Shaking his head, Sanha tries to push that thought aside. Whatever the cause was, it wouldn’t help him solve this puzzle right now.

First thing first, Sanha compares each slate to the ones next to it. Starts with the first one he turned- the one in the top-center, next to the empty space- turning it to see if any of its sides line up with the sides currently facing it. After determining that none of them fit, he mentally crosses that off. Before deciding that this puzzle is going to be tedious enough, and standing up.

“Hey, Minhyuk?”

“Yeah?” Minhyuk turns to face him, from where he’s examining one corner of the area.

“You have paper? And a pen or pencil I can borrow?”

“You...have your phone?”

“This is easier!”

“Yeah, okay, if it’s as good a replica as everything else, there should be paper in my room.” Minhyuk leaves to go get said paper, and returns a minute later with the paper and a pen. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

“Yeah, no problem. Is this that complicated, though?”

“No, just tedious? It’s easier to make sure I know what I already tried, then try and remember as I go.”

“Mkay.” Minhyuk hums, nodding. “Good luck.”

Sanha returns to his task. First he writes what he already tried, then he moves on to the next thing. Turning each of the slates touching the first one, by one side, and then trying to turn the first one again. Testing each of its sides with the second sides of the ones next to it. Then repeats the process when that turns up nothing.

Vaguely he’s aware of Jinwoo and Minhyuk starting to talk to each other, their tones confused. They must have found something, too, but Sanha trusts he can leave it to them, for now. If it could help him, they’d let him know. 

Sanha finally gets a singular result. The one to the right of the first slate has one side that lines up with one of its, perfectly. Sanha writes this down. Either they’re meant to be like they are, next to each other, or above/bellow each other. Whichever it is, Sanha will have to figure out.

With those two paired up, Sanha chooses another slate- the bottom-center, this time- and begins the process all over again. He can at least eliminate the one above it, so he doesn’t have to bother worrying about that, for now.

After trying every possibility, with the center-bottom slate, Sanha determains that none of the three surrounding it line up with any of it’s sides. Which means, sanha realizes, that it must 1) be the slate meant to be positioned next to the empty space, and 2) line up with the top-right slate in some way.

With this is mind, Sanha goes through the process of rearranging the slates, to get those two next to each other. He moves the bottom-left one up, into the empty space, then moves the bottom-center one into its space, then the top-center one down. Then moves the top-right one over, into the center space, and the bottom-right one up into the top. Then pushes everything over one more, in this circle, until the formerly top-right slate sits in the bottom-center space, with the formerly bottom-center one to its left.

And, Sanha decides, trying to remember them based on their original positions is  _way too much fucking work_ , so he assigns them all numbers to make it easier for himself. The no-longer-bottom-center slate is #3, and he tests each of its sides with slate #2, until he finds which side lines up. 

Its the side one side to the left of where slate 2 lines up with slate 1, which tells Sanha this: either this slate is meant to be in the bottom left, and slate 1 is meant to have stayed in the top-center. Or slate 3 is meant to be in the top-right, with slate 2 in the top-center, and slate 1 in the bottom-center. Which just leaves figuring out how the final two slates fit, and then how to get them all into their rightful places.

Sanha breathes a long sigh. Despite the progress he’s made, the whole thing is exhausting in its tediousness.

“You okay there?” Jinwoo’s voice breaks into this thought, and Sanha looks up at where Jinwoo has walked over.

“Yeah. It’s just taking some time.” _And mental effort._

Jinwoo hums in acknowledgement, nodding. “Okay.”

“What about you two?”

“We found something that is pretty clearly code. Either it has something to do with whatever’s in here-” Jinwoo points at the box- “or the door. Minhyuk’s currently trying the numbers on the two door locks that need numbers.”

“Why just Minhyuk?”

“I was helping but... he elbowed me in the face twice while I was messing with the one lock- the second one from the bottom? Yeah, so we agreed maybe only one of us should bother.” Sanha laughs, nodding at that. “Well, anything I can help you with?”

“Uh, not really.” Sanha glances back down at the puzzle, then at Jinwoo. “Actually- okay so I gave numbers to each of these pieces, which is how I wrote them down. If you could just keep track of what I’ve done for me, that’d be great?”

“Sure.” Jinwoo nods, taking a seat on the other side of the box. Sanha hands him the paper and pen, which he takes and looks over. “So, which is which?”

“Ah, right.” Sanha takes a minute to tell Jinwoo which piece has each number, and once it seems like he’s got it, Sanha returns to moving the pieces around so he can try lining up slate #4 with #2.

Minhyuk joins them a minute later with two pieces of paper in his hand, and a frown on his face.

“No luck?” Jinwoo’s question recieves a annoyed huff from Minhyuk. “I see.”

“What about with this?” Minhyuk motions to the box. Sanha sighs in response. “Oh?”

“No we know how everything lines up, now. It’s just two things...” Sanha sighs again, letting out an annoyed noise.

“Which are?”

“Getting them all into the right places, and hoping we haven’t somehow turned the whole puzzle onto the wrong side. Like the pieces we put on top? Better hope they actually belong there and not facing the opposite way and on the bottom,” Jinwoo answers, which cases Sanha to let out yet another, louder sigh.

“I see.”

“Okay!” Sanha sits up straight, stretching his arms out. “I can do this.”

Another few minutes of moving the slates around- a few minutes of pure frustration- finally yields results. Sanha gives a small, “finally,” and falls over onto the floor. Minhyuk laughs at him, patting his leg, before moving to try and open the box. It makes a clicking sound when Minhyuk pushes the button, and opens with no problem.

“Thank god.” Sanha sits back up, and Jinwoo moves around the box so he, too, can look inside.

On the lid of the box sits a big, red, number written in what must be paint. Far too bright a colour to be mistaken for anything worse. The number-  _six_ \- may be the first thing to draw their attention, but the second is the smaller box sitting inside the first box. Sanha makes a noise of pure annoyance, and jumps to his feet.

“Nope, I’m done, you two figure this out.” Sanha steps back so Jinwoo and Minhyuk can get a better look at the smaller box. Despite his words, Sanha doesn’t move any further, instead observing. The box is a dark green, with a four-number code needed to open it. At least that’s the obvious assumption, based on the spinning dials of the current four numbers displayed- all zeros- and the button under it.

“No, wait, we have four numbers.” Minhyuk hold up the two papers in his hand, and Sanha only feels slightly annoyed at the ease of which their part has happened. “And we know the order.”

“Wait, you do?” Sanha asks, feeling vaguely left out.

“Yeah, there were three papers, and based on the information on the third, we figured out there were only two possible orders. So technically we’ll have to try at least twice, but.” Jinwoo shrugs, while Minhyuk starts trying the code. It only takes a minute- Minhyuk seeming to have the numbers basically memorized after trying them enough- and they’re rewarded with the box opening. Inside is a single key.

Without any question of what they all want to do with the key, Jinwoo and Minhyuk stand, and the three all make their way back to the front door. Minhyuk hands the key to Sanha, who stares at it.

“Uh, okay?”

“You did more work than we did.”

“True.” Sanha grins, and Minhyuk rolls his eyes at him. With the key, Sanha unlocks the bottom-most padlock, and feels a weird sort of pride when it works. Sure it’s only one part of four, but it feels like a lot.

“There we go!” Jinwoo grins at the two of them, and Sanha finds himself smiling in return. “Well, should we see how the others are doing?”

“Yeah!”

“Sure. We should probably tell them about this, too.”

With that the three go to check on the remaining three, and their progress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you can guess what this chapters question is:
> 
> **Who do you want to follow next?**
> 
> were you confused reading sanha's puzzle bc boy was I confused writing it. describing puzzles like this is SO difficult which I didn't entirely think through before I started and then it was too late to turn back.
> 
> I haven't fucking slept so please tell me if i made some obvious grammar or spelling mistake thank


	9. Final (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Then, all at once, three things happen. Something drops into the sink above Myungjun, with a loud clattering sound, just as the lights of the bottom row turn on, and someone calls out to him with a, “hey, Myungjun.”  
> The combination of the three causes him to scream, and jump to his feet in surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I'm sorry about the confusing nature of the puzzle last chapter, I promise I wont be doing anything like that again.
> 
> Myungjun won the move, so we'll be following him this chapter!   
> the votes were eunwoo-1, jinjin-1, moonbin-2, mj-4
> 
> NOTE: This chapter starts **before** the end of last chapter. since things were happening simultaneously.

Myungjun had run off to search as soon as the agreement that, that was what they should do happened. His thought process boiled down to the following: even though they hadn’t spent much time in them, they’d been in every room of the dorm aside from the bathroom. Which meant, he figured, that he could be the first to find something important quicker, if he went there.

Being that their dorm already has three rooms, a living area, and a kitchen, there isn’t much space left that their bathroom can take up. It’s always felt small, so with the already existing trapped feeling Myungjun has, it only feels smaller. Still, he’s determined to get out of the fake-dorm as quickly as possible, so he takes to searching.

First with the shower/tub area, since it’s open and not much can hide there. When this turns up with nothing- which is about what Myungjun expected- he turns to search the rest of the room. Whatever he finds that was meant to be there- brushes, toothbrushes, bottles of soap, etcetera- he tosses haphazardly into the shower area. If it’s not relevant to their escape, he doesn’t see the point to paying it any mind.

Partway through his search, he hears Jinwoo and Minhyuk pass by, on their way towards the door, only to hear Jinwoo make a startled noise, and pass by again a moment later.

“Hey, Myungjun, how goes your search?”

“Going.” Myungjun shrugs, turning to face Jinwoo where he stands in the door. “Yours?”

“Also going.” Jinwoo nods. “Need any help?”

“Not at the moment, I don’t think.”

“Okay, then I’m gonna go check on Sanha’s progress.” Myungjun flinches at the word, and Jinwoo seems to realize the word choice was poor, too. "I mean- with the puzzle."

With that, Jinwoo leaves Myungjun back to his own devices.

A search of all the open area’s of the room turns up nothing, so Myungjun moves onto the other parts. The cabinet under the sink, and the one hidden behind the mirror, being those parts. Under the sink, where there  _should_  be pipes, and maybe a box of extra supplies, instead there’s a grid of dim lights, in different colours. Which... Myungjun has no idea what to do with.

Sighing, Myungjun stands from where he’s kneeling in front of the sink, and decides that he should see if anything else will help him figure out what he needs to do with it. As he stands, he hears Minhyuk breath an annoyed huff, and walk back past the bathroom again.

In the small cabinet behind the bathroom mirror, there’s usually a few things. No one really uses it for much, but there’s usually over the counter painkillers, band-aids and such things. Instead, to Myungjun’s surprise, there’s a bunch of much more random seeming, and thus suspicious, objects.

First, dice. There’s a line of dice- with varying numbers of sides- which he’s scared to move in case the sides they’re sitting on are important. Still, he carefully tries to pick one up, only to find them glued in place. Which is a relief, he thinks. On the shelf above them- the middle of three- sits a solved rubik’s cube. Myungjun breathes a relieved sigh at it already being solved, and picks it up to see if it holds any clues.

Each side has a number on it’s middle piece, so he guesses the colour of each side, and it’s number, are important. Taking mental note of this, he sets it back and decides to come back to that when he has more information. His guess is it has to do with whatever’s under the sink, but he’ll get back to that.

The final, top, shelf has a folded stack of papers shoved onto it. Unfolding them reveals they’re a essay written by  _someone_ \- the name is missing on the header- about the wavelengths and other such things of light.

“Great, now I know even less.” Myungjun sighs, yet again, turning through the pages. Nothing jumps out as particularly weird. He only skims the words, not interested in wasting time reading it entirely through if he doesn’t need to.

With what he thinks is everything he can find, at this point, found, he decides to try a few things. First, compare the colours on the rubik’s cube, and their numbers, with the essay’s information.

The first thing he notes is that the numbers on the cube are all single digit. Which doesn’t line up with the  _wavelength intervals_  that the essay is talking about. The second, is that a cube has 6 sides, but there are seven colours on the visible light spectrum- which he probably should have known, since it’s the colours of the rainbow, but that didn’t occur to him- which would indicate that the two aren’t related. There are even more, in another section of the essay, so he decides to stop trying to find something in the essay, just yet.

With nothing to go on there, he moves on to comparing the numbers on the dice, to the numbers on the cube. This has greater results. Despite some of the die going above single digits- the first in the line, from the left, is already a d20- none of them have double digit numbers facing out towards him.

So he compares these.

On the cube, the number and colour combinations are as follows.

  * Red: 8
  * Blue: 5
  * Yellow: 4
  * Green: 2
  * Orange: 7
  * Purple: 1



The order of the dice- by the number facing him- is:

  * 5
  * 4
  * 8
  * 7
  * 1
  * 2



So, Myungjun tries to combine this info. This gives him that the colours should be in the order: blue, yellow, red, orange, purple, green. Assuming this has something to do with the lights under the sink, he kneels to finally examine that.

The gird of lights is a three-by-three grid, with lights in sitting the middle of each square of the grid. The bottom row’s lights are off, and unlike the plain bulb lights of the other six squares, the ones on the bottom row are all shaped into what looks like letters. IN, NU, FU. 

At first Myungjun is incredibly confused by this, but then he thinks about the essay, again, and remebers it also has a section about the wavelengths of infrared, near ultraviolet, and far ultraviolet. With nothing else even remotely related to these to go off of, Myungjun makes the assumption that’s what those are about.

However, since they’re off, and he has no info to go on related to them, aside from their presence in the essay, he decides to ignore them for now.

Another things he notes, is the plate of metal behind the grid, blocking his view of anything else, and the fact the lights all sit on pieces of metal that are placed in groves, and can be pushed back. He tries this, with the blue light first, and it clicks into place, which seems to cause the light to turn off.

Following the order he had deduced based on the other clues, he presses the other five lights in. While he’s doing this, he hears some of the others pass by again, but ignores them, trying not to be distracted. Yellow, red, orange, purple, green.

Once all six are pushed in, and turned off, a few tings happen. First, the lights all pop back up, into their original positions, and turn back on.

Second, there’s a clicking sound, followed by a sliding sound. Then, all at once, three things happen. Something drops into the sink above Myungjun, with a loud clattering sound, just as the lights of the bottom row turn on, and someone calls out to him with a, “hey, Myungjun.”

The combination of the three causes him to scream, and jump to his feet in surprise. He turns quickly to face Jinwoo, clutching his chest. “Dude!”

“Whoa- okay- sorry?”

“Oh my god!” Myungjun takes a second to breathe, and calm himself down. Then he meets Jinwoo’s gaze. “Yeah, okay, what’s up?”

“Uh, we got one of the locks off of the door. And... well, do you need any help?”

“Oh, uh, I don’t know?” Myungjun remembers all at once that something fell into the sink, and turns quickly to see what. In the sink are three- what look to be- domino’s. Each is painted white, with differing numbers of black dots on them. Which, Myungjun thinks, is the opposite of what he expects. When he picks them up, they each have a number painted on the back, too.

“What’s that about?”

“Oh- uh- so this whole puzzles had a lot of lights and colour stuff going on, with numbers lined up with colours, right?”

“Yeah?”

“So I assume each of these is supposed to be one of the missing- uh- colours of light?” Myungjun hums, looking down. “But I don’t- oh!”

“Oh?” Jinwoo asks, and Myungjun doesn’t entirely feel like explaining, but for some reason having someone asking helps him process his thoughts quicker. So he speaks.

“Okay, so the numbers on the back of these, I bet they’re the wavelengths of the lights. So that will tell me which these are, and then the number on the front will tell me where they fit into the order I press the lights in.”

“I got- like- half of that. So?”

“So-” Myungjun stops, realizing he doesn’t have the essay. He hands the domino’s over to Jinwoo, and looks for where he dropped the essay. “So the first one is?”

“Oh- uh- one thousand.”

“And... infrared is less than a thousand, so I guess it should be that one. None of the others are even that close.”

“I really don’t know how that whole thing works, but in that case, infrared is three?”

“Yep!” Myungjun nods. “I’m just going by this part, here.” Myungjun point to one section of the chart. The chart itself is sectioned off, listing numbers next to each colour based on different factors. Myungjun doesn’t actually know what each section is- could probably find out if he bothered to read the essay itself- but figures that’s not really important. All he needs is to line up the colours with the numbers he has.

“Wow, okay, yeah.” Jinwoo nods.

“And the next is?”

“Three hundred.”

“Which is... near ultraviolet. And that?”

“Is six.”

“Cool. Finally?

"Two hundred."

"Far ultraviolet... is?”

“Nine.” At that, Jinwoo sets the domino’s on the edge of the sink. Myungjun nods, the sighs. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t... know what to do with that information? I assume it’s more complicated than just putting those in between the original order.”

“It’s worth a shot, though?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Myunjun nods, and tries just that. Inserting the other lights, where their numbers dictate. But, it doesn’t work, and the lights all pop back into place without any results. “Now what?”

“Why don’t you catch me up with what you already did so far?” Jinwoo asks, and Myungjun nods. It might help to have the other actually know whats going on. “Actually, hold on.”

“Okay?”

“Hey!” Jinwoo shouts down the hall. “Sanha, are you preoccupied?”

“No?!” Is the startled response. Then Sanha nearly tumbles down the hall, with a distant and startled shout from Minhyuk following him. “What?”

“You didn’t have to run?”

“That’s an opinion.”

“Okay. Well, I thought you’re pretty much resident best-at-puzzles-person here-”

“What a title.”

“Yeah.” Jinwoo frowns at being interrupted, and Myungjun laughs. “So want to help us?”

“Sure, what’s the puzzle?” Sanha seems to have gotten more enthusiastic with his new title, and Myungjun can’t help the amusement he feels at that.

Then Myungjun explains the puzzle so far to the two of them, which takes a few minutes.

“Any thoughts?”

“Uh...” Jinwoo frowns, thinking. “Do you think there might still be something in the essay? Maybe a code hidden, or something, that uses those numbers?”

Myungjun groans, unhappy with the thought of needing to further read the essay.

“I think,” Sanha starts, quietly, “you’re overthinking it.”

“Huh?”

“I mean- well- a lot of puzzles are made more difficult artificially by just... trying to trick you into either misunderstanding it, with tricky language, or making it  _less_  complicated, so you overthink it.”

“Oh.” Myungjun nods. That makes sense, he guesses. If something seems too easy, you’re likely to assume it isn’t possibly the solution. “So, then, what?”

“The numbers on the rubik’s cube? Use those as the order.”

“I still don’t get why they gave you a  _solved_  rubik’s cube of all things,” Jinwoo says, eyeing the cube like it personally offends him.

“So, like, purple first, and so on?” Myungjun hums, picking the cube up again, and refreshing his memory of the numbers.

Based on this line of thought, with the addition of the domino’s numbers, Myungjun determines a new order. Purple, green, infrared, yellow, blue, near ultraviolet, orange, red, far ultraviolet. Myungjun kneels back down to the puzzle, and tries this order. When he does, instead of popping back out like the other times, they sink even further into the sheet of metal behind them. Then, the whole thing sinks back, and then flips open, up into the cabinet’s ceiling, revealing a wall behind.

On the wall are two things, both written in ink. The number four, written in a bright blue, and bellow it, three words, all names of colours. In order: blue, pink, yellow.

“Okay, so, what does this mean?” Myungjun sighs. There isn’t anything else to put codes into, so he assumes- if the rooms puzzles are self contained- that it’s for the door. But what’s with the number, then?

Sanha kneels beside him, to look, and mutters a small, “oh.”

“ _Oh_ , what?”

“There’s another number here.”

“Another?”

“Oh, yeah, we found one too.” Myungjun looks up at Jinwoo, who continues. “We couldn’t find anything to do with it, so I bet each room has a number, and that’s how we get the final lock.”

“So, for now we don’t need it yet?”

“Probably.”

“Which means this must be the solution to the colour-based lock!” Sanha turns to grin at Myungjun, who gives a smile of his own in return.

“Great! Let’s go try it then.”

The group heads the small way to the door, and Jinwoo and Sanha allow Myungjun to try the code. The colour-based combination lock only has three pieces to turn, each sitting on different colours. Myungjun turns each piece until they’re in the order of blue, pink, and yellow.

And then, he holds his breath and gives the lock a tug, which causes it to open. Myungjun grins, pulls the padlock off of the door, and turns to the others.

“Done! Two down!”

“Nice!” Sanha cheers, holding up his hands. Myungjun high-fives him with both hands, and Jinwoo laughs at them.

“Only one more padlock.” Jinwoo hums, in thought. “I’d guess that one is the one that the kitchen solves, and then the electronic lock is probably what the numbers we’ve been finding are for.”

“In that case,” Myungjun draws out the word  _case_ , like his next words will really important, “let’s check on Bin, Dongmin, and Minhyuk.”

“Right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you want to follow next chapter?
> 
> hey so fun fact I think of puzzles as im writing them. like I give information then go "now how to I fit all of this together? cool then that's the solution" basically I figure out how to make the puzzles by solving them myself. there are only two exceptions to this: the kitchen puzzle was planned for quite a while (since i thought of it before I got sick but didn't get a chance to write it for a while) and last chapters puzzle (hence why that one stayed in the story despite being confusing to write, sorry). Oh, and the puzzle going on with the numbers in each room, obviously.
> 
> everyone in this story (except minhyuk): i've known sanha two hours but i love him and will try to include him in everything  
> (minhyuk already knew him and was already like that)
> 
> also anyone notice that myungjuns process for solving puzzles seems different here than when he was with jinwoo? i like to think that when he's with the others he'll do his best to help, but generally assume their process for solving things is the better way, but on his own he does things like here, where he gathers ALL POSSIBLE information before he does anything at all.
> 
> unrelated but any of you also sf9 fans because HOLY SHIT Now or Never, man. these groups can all give me such good songs so close together i'm dying.


	10. Final (Part 3 - end)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Okay, well, you’ve got this, Bin.”  
> “Don’t leave me with this.”  
> “Good luck!”  
> “Minhyuk!”  
> “I believe in you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyyyy we're almost to the end! You may have noticed a definitive number of chapter marked down, more on that after this chapter but:
> 
> Bin won the vote! 2 - 1 against eunwoo  
> you know what that means?!  
> well that this chapter is bin focused but ALSO that eunwoo doesn't and will not have a chapter from his perspective in this story. and he's the only one.  
> so there's that.

Being in a kitchen- searching through one again- so soon after the last time wasn’t exactly Bin’s idea of a great time. Yet, here he is, once again. He’d taken one side of the kitchen, while Dongmin took the other. At the moment, Dongmin was trying to figure out some puzzle that he  _said_  he had all the information for.

“You sure you don’t need help?”

“No, I think I’ve got it, it’s just… figuring out exactly what it wants.”

Which, Bin decides to take his word on. It’s not like he knows if that’s true, or not. If he finds something that might help, then he’ll argue. Until then, Bin takes to continuing his own search.

This proves to be a productive way of going about it, because he finds the inside of their oven is no longer- well- an oven. The front opens up to reveal, instead, a series of dials. None of them have labels, and are all sitting  _zero_ , apparently turned off. The space between the front, and the dials, has a grate that seems to lead into nothing.

And Bin has no idea what to do with that. He certainly isn’t about to just go turning dials without knowing what they do. So, he continues his search elsewhere.

Okay, so, Bin wouldn’t say he knows where everyone keeps everything in their dorm. In all honesty, under normal circumstances, he’d just choose someone to blame and go, “hey, _you_ , what the fuck did you put this here for?” But these are not, in fact, normal circumstances, so instead Bin just sighs and accepts that this game has no sense of normalcy to be found. It isn’t even pretending to be their normal dorm anymore; nor trying to hide it’s clearly distorted nature.

Still, Bin questions exactly why it chose to specifically put a fucking  _record player_  in their  _fridge_.

“Dongmin, hey, I know you’re doing something but come be flabbergasted with me.”

“Flabbergasted? That was the word you chose?” Dongmin glances over at him, then at the fridge. When his face forms into disbelief, Bin just nods. 

“Right?” Instead of responding, Dongmin just turns away again and Bin frowns. Well, he decides, this must be part of a puzzle. He’s just got no clue where to even start with that.

So the search continues. The others pass by the kitchen, on their way to or from the door, a few different times, but during that time, Bin finds next to nothing. Bin is fairly sure he’s searched the entire kitchen- even parts that were Dongmin’s sections- and come up with nothing.

“Ah!”

“What?!” Bin spins around, nearly elbowing the counter, to face Dongmin.

“I got this open!”

“Cool?” Bin walks over, to look over his shoulder, and sees what Dongmin has found. Inside one of their cabinets- one attached to the wall, above the counter- sits a pile of papers, and a record. “You can read those, while I put this record in the record-player.”

“Why do I have to deal with the papers?”

“Record player is on my side of the kitchen.” With that, and without waiting for argument, Bin grabs the record and makes his way to the fridge. While he’s doing this, Minhyuk and Sanha make their way to the edge of the kitchen.

“Why are you putting a record in the fridge?”

“Check this out,” Bin moves over just enough for Minhyuk to look, and watches an expression, similar to Dongmin’s upon seeing it, form.

“ _Why_ , though.”

“Don’t know.” Bin shrugs, just as they hear Jinwoo yelling for Sanha. Who, in turn, rushes off while Minhyuk shouts after him.

“You didn’t even ask what he wanted!” Minhyuk sighs, frowning. “So you two need any help?”

“Don’t know yet.” Bin shrugs, again, and finally places the record on the player. Which is about the extent of how much he knows about operating one. Besides what to do after it starts moving, which he guess everyone would know. “Uh- okay- do you know how record players work?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool- no, wait, why do you know that?”

“I’ve seen them used before. Do you want my help or what?”

“Right, yeah, go ahead.”

Minhyuk get’s the record player going, then goes ahead and put’s the needle down, to play the record. The noise the record makes, when they put the needle to it, is what Bin could only describe as  _aggravatingly high pitched_. His ears rings, and were it not for the fact that it makes the occasional sound of an actual note, he’d think it was just there to screw with them.

Bin turns to Minhyuk, to see how he’s handling the noise. The other is covering his ears, and slowly backing away from the kitchen.

“Okay, well, you’ve got this, Bin.”

“Don’t leave me with this.”

“Good luck!”

“Minhyuk!”

“I believe in you.”

Bin is going to respond again, when the sound suddenly cuts off. He looks back, and jumps when he realizes Dongmin is at his side, having stopped the record. The other all but shoves two of the papers from the cabinet into Bin’s hands, then moves around him and out of the kitchen, to join Minhyuk.

“Not you too.”

“I figured out all the important stuff, it’s there for you. You deal with the record, right? You said it was on your side, didn’t you?”

“I hate both of you.”

“I’m okay with that.”

The information in question, that Dongmin has given Bin, is what almost looks like sheet music, and a note-to-number decoder. So the first thing Bin does is read the, “sheet music.” The problem with calling it _sheet music_ , is that it’s missing a lot. There’s no cleft, nor a time signature, and no  _measures_. If it weren’t for the fact that the number of horizontal lines was correct, or the fact that there were music notes on it, he wouldn’t even compare it to sheet music.

The problem with not knowing the time signature, he thinks, is that he doesn’t know where the measures actually  _should_  be. Or, that’s what he thinks with his limited memory of how sheet music works. The other problem is, he doesn’t really know how this helps him with the record, since even if the few notes that it actually plays match some on the music, he wouldn’t know exactly which ones.

The note-to-number paper doesn’t really help, either, considering he doesn’t know what he needs them for.

He’s broken from his attempts to figure this out, when the rest of the others come back from down the hall.

“Hey we got another lock off!” Myungjun cheers, grinning. “Now we think we just need the kitchen puzzle to be completed.”

“Well, that’s great and all, but I need someone who can recognize notes.”

“Like… letters?”

“Like _music_.” Bin frowns at the other, who just shrugs.

“Reading or listening?” Sanha asks, from where he’s standing behind the others.

“Listening. Well- I have music here, but I think I need to line it up with notes I have to listen to. Which…” Bin trails off, feeling like the situation explains its self.

“Wait, can’t Minhyuk do that?” Jinwoo motions to the person in question, who glares in return. “What?”

“I can….”

“But?”

“But he’s a big baby,” Bin says. 

“Are you two fighting?” Jinwoo frowns at them.

“They aren’t fighting, it’s just that the thing playing the notes…” Dongmin frowns, pauses, then speaks. “Well, you should just hear it. You’ll understand.”

Bin, taking the hint, moves the needle back to the start of the record, and then covers his ears. Those who already heard it have the foresight to cover their own, but the remaining three are assaulted by the high pitched sound.

“What the  _fuck_.” Is Jinwoo’s immediate reaction, as he reaches up to cover his ears. Bin takes mercy, and stops it again.

“Yeah, that.”

“The longer it takes me to solve this puzzle, the more I’ll have to play that.” Bin motions to the record player. “And then you have to hope I didn’t get it wrong somewhere.”

“Fine, fine!” Minhyuk huffs, making his way over. “I don’t have perfect pitch, though, so you better hope I’m right.”

“Okay.”

With Bin and Minhyuk tackling the puzzle, and others leave to spare their own ears. The traitors. Bin carefully keep track of what notes Minhyuk  _thinks_  he’s hearing, until the record ends and they have ten total notes.

“There, does that help?” 

“Yeah- uh- well…”

“Well?”

“I think after the third note, we probably could have stopped.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that there are the same number of whole-notes between each note you said, so it probably expects you to figure that out and then just use that to figure the rest out. But, uh, we had to be sure?”

“You suffered for this too.”

“Yeah?”

“That’s the only reason you aren’t dead to me right now.”

“That’s fair.”

With the knowledge of what notes were  _probably_  being played by the record, Bin uses the other paper to figure out the numbers associated with them. That gives him the numbers: 1, 3, 4, 5, 2, 4, 2, 3, 1, 5.

Bin isn’t really sure what to do with those numbers, at first, before it clicks. There were ten dials in the stove. With everything else, he’d nearly forgotten that. So he moves away from the fridge, and to the stove. Minhyuk seem to have decided to remain silent, likely not wanting to interrupt if Bin has figured something out.

Bin decides to just assume the number are in order, and that he doesn’t need to further figure things out. He sets each dial to it’s appropriate number. At first, while he’s doing this, he thinks he must have messed up somewhere. Each dial goes up to twelve, but none of his numbers go past five.

Despite this, he tries setting all the dials as is, anyway. Which pays off. Bin breathes a sigh of relief when there’s a clicking sound, and the wall of the dials slides back further. The grate on the bottom of the stove slides away, too, and a panel of metal pops up into place, displaying a few numbers.

First, there’s a large twenty-one written in green, and bellow that is another string of numbers. Two, eight, seven, four.

“Any idea what to make of this?” Bin asks, looking up at Minhyuk. The other kneels next to him, to look, before nodding.

“We found a number like that one,” Minhyuk points the the largest number, “so that’s probably part of that puzzle. The rest could be the code for one of the number locks.”

“Alright, cool, let’s get the others then?”

“Yep.”

Everyone gathers around the door, and when Minhyuk and Bin share their information, everyone else- except Dongmin- share a look between them.

“What?” Bin asks, frowning.

“The code is probably for the last padlock, since the other two rooms had stuff for those.” Jinwoo motions to the padlock, as he speaks. Bin nods, and goes to unlock it while the others continue to speak.

“The other two numbers we found, for the last lock, were four and six,” Sanha says, while Bin finally gets the padlock open. “Oh! We were right!”

“So,” Bin starts, haphazardly dropping the padlock, “How do we know what order to put them in? I mean, I assume the twenty-one we found counts as two numbers, in order, but what about the other two?”

“Was there anything to indicate an order?” Dongmin asks, frowning. He and Bin both spent all their time in the kitchen, really, so they didn’t have as much to go on as the others, if there was something.

“Not really?” Minhyuk shrugs.

“There  _was_  a lot of six-related things with my puzzle. Rubik’s cube, and such.” Myungjun offers, shrugging. “Maybe it’s like- uh- the living room six leads the bathroom, and then- no- wait was there any four stuff in the kitchen?”

“No?” Bin looks to Dongmin, to confirm.

“No, not that I saw either.”

“Oh.” Myungjun’s disappointment makes Bin feel just bad enough that he wishes there were.

“Well maybe we’re overthinking this again?” Sanha offers, catching everyone’s attention.

“If we are, then how?” Minhyuk’s question has Sanha frowning. “I mean, you’re probably right, just…”

“I don’t know.”

“Maybe…” Dongmin pushes past the others, and towards the door. Bin moves aside, for him, and raises an eyebrow.

“What is it?”

“Maybe it’s the room order?”

“Room order?”

“Oh!” Myungjun nods, apparently realizing what Dongmin means. “The order we originally went through the rooms, when we were in other places, right? So living room, kitchen, bathroom. Like that?”

“Yeah.” Dongmin nods, entering the numbers onto the keypad. Six, Two, One, Four. With a small beep, the thing lights up green, and the door opens slightly on it’s own. Dongmin takes a startled step back, nearly knocking Bin over in the process.

“So… that’s it?”

But nobody moves. Like they can’t bring themselves to open the door, and look out into the hallway that should be there. Bin can’t know what the others are feeling, but he knows why he hesitates.

What if it’s just as distorted out there? Will they walk out, and somehow end up back in their real dorm? Will it somehow turn out this really was their dorm, the whole time? So many what-if scenarios go through him in quick succession, and all he can think is that he’s scared.

He’s scared to know. They’ve been working towards escaping all this time, but with escape right there he’s scared.

Before any of them can make their move towards the door, or break through the tension around them, their phones go off. For a second, Bin wants to ignore it. To move on, finally, and walk through the door without checking. But then, Sanha is the first to reach for his phone, and the small gasp he lets out has the rest of them checking, too.

> **_Message from: |||| (ALL)_ **
> 
> _statistics unavalibl e at this time_
> 
> _You all did verry_
> 
> _well._
> 
> _You may leave at your descretion but I have one m o r e question for you:_
> 
> _Would you like to save your game?_
> 
> _this question is for each of you individually, don’t worry about voting as a group_
> 
> _please answer within the next 60 seconds_

“Sixty seconds?!” Myungjun shouts, surprised. “How much time is left?! Is there a right choice?! What do I-”

Another chime of his phone stops Myungjun, for a second.

> **_Message from: Sanha (ALL)_ **
> 
> _yes. i would like to save my game_

“Sanha?!” Minhyuk is the first to react, looking up at his friend.

“I- I don’t know what it means. Or what the right choice is. And I- I can’t tell the rest of you what you should do. But I’m doing this, and I’m leaving, and I-”

“Sanha- what- what if that does something bad-”

“I don’t care! I just want to go  _home_. I answered, and it’s over, and it can’t punish me for ignoring it’s questions again!”

"Sanha-"

> **_Message from: |||| (ALL)_ **
> 
> _twenty seconds_

With the reminder, everyone pauses for approximately two seconds, before rushing to answer. Whatever the correct choice is, they don't have time to debate. Bin makes the choice he thinks is best, and hopes he's right, for his own sake. The others, he thinks, can make their own choices.

> **_Message from: |||| (ALL)_ **
> 
> _thank you for playing_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAVE YOUR GAME?**  
>  ^this chapters question for you guys. should they?^
> 
> (to the tune of final countdown) it's the final question (du du duuu duuuuu)  
> i'm not funny  
> But yeah this is the final ending-deciding question! The next chapter will have the results, finale & the epilogue for the story!  
> but, wait? the story looks to have 12 chapters, not 11? Well.......it actually only has 11, the 12th "chapter" is going to be where I post and over-view of what some of your choices would have lead to if the votes had gone different, as well as a summary of all the endings that you missed out on! It got too long to put in the end notes of the last chapter, so that's why it get's its own chapter.
> 
> i really struggled to come up with a puzzle for this one i'm sorry if it wasn't #good. Why does minhyuk know music notes? felt like giving minhyuk more to do after he was mostly absent last chapter
> 
> anyway! good luck with the votes!


	11. Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **_Message from: |||| (ALL)_  
> **  
>  thank you for playing  
> Message from: GAME (ALL)  
> your progress has been saved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ey its me finally finishing this story
> 
> you voted: yes to saving the game!

Everyone says  _yes_. Out of the six of them, not one of them says no to saving their game. Maybe it’s because Sanha already said yes, or maybe it’s because they’re scared saying no will erase their  _progress_.  Whatever went through each of their minds, they vote yes.

 

> **_Message from: |||| (ALL)_ **
> 
> _thank you for playing_
> 
> _**Message from: GAME (ALL)** _
> 
> _your progress has been saved_

The group share looks, nobody really sure what to say. Then Sanha turns and open the door fully, finally. The hallway outside of their dorm looks almost normal. It’s only difference to what they know as their building, is the lack of  _other_  doors, leading to other dorms.

Then, all at once, they wake up.

Minhyuk wakes on the floor of Dongmin and Bin’s room, staring up at the ceiling. For a moment, he considers it having been a dream. A horrible, nightmare of one, but a dream none the less. Then he remembers  _why_ he was in their room to start with. Messages from Sanha- no, from whatever put them there. The game? Messages that showed a knowledge of their home that it shouldn’t have had, that made Minhyuk run into their room.

All at once Minhyuk sits up and pulls himself to his feet. Bin is sitting on his bed, holding his head and looking confused. Dongmin stands up at one side of the room, and looks between them like he’s trying to figure something out.

“We’re... back?”

“Seems like it?” Minhyuk kneels to look around for a vent, but there isn’t one. Seeing this, Dongmin opens the window and light streams through, the city outside looking completely normal.

“What about the others?” Bin’s words come out quiet, his voice sounding like he hasn’t used it in a while. They all share a look, before rushing out of the room and making their way to Myungjun and Jinwoo’s. Inside, those two seem to be going through the same disoriented realizations as the other three.

“So we were all back where we were before?” Jinwoo frowns, thinking, before looking up to meet Minhyuk’s eyes. “Minhyuk, where’s Sanha?”

“I-” Minhyuk stops, surprise etching its way onto his face. “I don’t know.”

“Well try to contact him!” Myungjun jumps to his feet as he speaks, seeming almost as on edge as Minhyuk feels, too.

But Minhyuk hesitates. Thinks back on a conversation with Sanha, about making it out. About Sanha having already lost _progress_. He hesitates, because he doesn’t know for sure, what the result will be. Then, finally, he reaches for his phone. Before he can move to message Sanha, though, the other beats him to it.

 

> **_Message from: Sanha_ **
> 
> _i dont know how to ask this but_
> 
> _are you guys also back?_
> 
> _i woke up at home_
> 
> _in the last place i remember_
> 
> _i’m sorta scared to leave my room and try to explain to my parents were ive been but mostly im just_
> 
> _you guys are back, right?_
> 
> _it’s not just me?_
> 
> _Minhyuk?_
> 
> _**Message to: Sanha** _
> 
> _Yeah_
> 
> _We’re the same. We woke up back in our (real?) dorm_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha** _
> 
> _okay_
> 
> _good_
> 
> _im glad_
> 
> _**Message to: Sanha** _
> 
> _Youre at home then?_
> 
> _**Message from: Sanha** _
> 
> _yeah_
> 
> _**Message to: Sanha** _
> 
> _okay you should tell your parents youre ok and_
> 
> _im going to go there too, ok?_
> 
> _**Message from:**   **Sanha**_
> 
> _okay_

“Hey, Jinwoo.” Minhyuk looks up at the other, who nods. “Sanha’s back at home, can you drive me there? I want- I need to see him. In person, now that this is over- I just-”

“It’s okay, I understand. Yeah, let’s go.”

“Uh- hey- I know we don’t really know Sanha,” Bin starts, looking hesitant.

“You can come too.” Minhyuk wastes no time hesitating on that. They’d all been through that, together. Even if they hadn’t really known Sanha, he isn’t surprised about their worry. “Any of you.”

“All of us, you mean?” Dongmin asks, tilting his head. “You think any of us  _aren’t_  going to go?”

“I don’t know.”

“The answer is no!” Myungjun is the first to actually start leaving the room, and dorm in turn. “Come on, then.”

 

The first thing Sanha’s mother does, upon seeing him, is scream. Which, he thinks, is a fair reaction. And he, startled by her sudden scream, shouts in response. Then the second thing she does is rush to him, and pull him into her arms. Sanha hadn’t spent the whole nine days he was missing apart from her, so part of him thought he wouldn't have felt as emotional about it. But he is.

Before he knows it Sanha is crying because  _she’s_  crying. Because he was gone, and nobody could find him and- and he was  _dead_. Sanha was dead, and then trapped in  _that place_  for hours, and all he can think is how much he needed this. His father- having heard his mother scream, probably- rushes into the room, and before Sanha knows it, he’s hugging him too.

He knows explaining will be difficult, doesn’t know what to say, but for a moment he just lets himself be held. Let’s himself be grateful for his own return.

A little while later, after his parents finally release him, and start asking questions- which he answers as vaguely as he can- Minhyuk shows up. With everyone else along side him. Sanha had only spent a few minutes around any of them, aside from Minhyuk, but he finds himself rushing to their sides and clinging to the people nearest to him.

Because they’re  _safe_. And, sure, there are a lot of things they still don’t know, but Sanha couldn’t care less, at the moment. All he cares about is that he’s  _home_ , and everyone else is alive. Whatever happened, whatever they went through, whatever did this to them, doesn’t matter, if only for a few minutes.

* * *

**Epilogue**

Sanha graduates high school with pretty good grades, and a long-since replaced phone. He managed to convince most of his friends at school that the game they were playing was actually spyware- which, he would argue, isn’t really false- and to quit playing if they could. Since none of their games had done anything like his had, he figured they would be safe, and so far none of them have gone missing.

The months following their escape, has everyone feeling paranoid. They all get new phones, and move out of their dorm, to elsewhere. It takes a lot of budgeting, but the group moves into a slightly larger apartment, in a building not far from their college. They try switching roommates, for the first week, but soon realize the anxiety not having the person they relied on during that time by their side caused them. So they switch back to rooming with their original partners. Minhyuk gets a room to himself, again, but more often then not he’s found in one of the other pairs rooms.

In a few weeks, Sanha plans to move in with them. It took a lot to convince his parents that he’d be fine. They may not know exactly what happened- something that clearly still bothers them- but they worry a lot about Sanha. More than they had before he went missing.

 

Despite everyone's paranoia and legitimate worry, nothing happens. They don’t get notifications or messages from the game at all. Before they replaced their phones, all evidence of the game was gone, anyway. Messages nonexistent on everyone’s phones, and Sanha’s without any evidence of the original game, too. Whatever it was had covered its tracks, and abandoned the train. They were left to deal with what they experienced without so much as an answer to their questions.

All they had to go on, was answers they already had. Its statement that they were in their dorm, as well as the game, and that it pointed out the game wasn’t their real dorm.

They don’t agree on a solid theory. Dongmin thinks that somehow the game took place in a unconscious place, hence why they could quickly end up in new environments, and be separated and put together at a whim. Jinwoo is personally on the theory that they had somehow been knocked out and moved, and that the quickness of their location changes was a result of being drugged, or something. He can't account for why only a few hours seemed to have passed from when they woke up, to when they got free, but he’s unwilling to believe Dongmin’s theory either.

Still, whatever the case, they all agree that they would rather have never had it happen, than to have answers to the how and why of it all. Minhyuk’s only hesitance with that, is that participating was what brought Sanha back, but had Sanha not disappeared, he would rather it didn't happen, than have answers, too.

Bin became more cautious of where things ended up, becoming a much neater person than before. Finding things in odd places, he realizes, freaks him out far more than it ever had before. His reaction to this is pretty muted, and compares little to Myungjun’s when he finds something and doesn’t know who’s it is or where it came from. It’s always one of the other’s belongings, being misplaced, but he panics every time.

Sanha moves into their dorm, nearing the start of the next school year.

Nobody so much as questions which room he’ll be placed in, and he starts sharing a room with Minhyuk, who subsequently starts actually sleeping in his own room.

In some ways, they know their current closeness is a result of the situation. Know without it, they wouldn't have the same relationships with each other that they do. But they also can't be thankful for the experience, because of all the bad that's come of it. Because they can't stand being without each other, because they freak out about tiny things that shouldn't matter.

The only thing they can truly be grateful for, is that things didn't turn out as bad as they know they could have.

* * *

 

> **_Message from: GAME_ **
> 
> _you have completed Escape: Astro (Dorm)_
> 
> _Congratulations  
>  _
> 
> _Your ending: GOOD END_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys got literally the ONLY good ending out of six endings, and like I know I never game super difficult questions (as far as making the "right" choice was) but I'm still proud of you guys for that.
> 
> anyway! It's over! Thank you so, so much for reading this entire story! If you'd like to read about other choices/endings, that's all the next chapter is! I don't have the time/motivation to write all the routes out CYOA style, but I can still provide you with an overview.
> 
> Oh! Also, if you have any requests for some other story, feel free to ask! either on tumblr ( i'm iamashamedofmyfanfics there, too) or here (provided if you do that, you also say something about this story, since i mean.. you're commenting on it)
> 
> anyway! yeah


	12. Overview, Other endings, and Other routes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An overview of things that could have, but didn't, happen in the routes this story didn't take

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't edited in the manner of a proper chapter, but I hope this'll suffice.
> 
> it's broken into sections so if you're here for something specific they're in this order:  
> Choices and what would have changed  
> The different endings (what they are)  
> a summary of the endings & epilogues

An overview of other routes that you could have taken, with your votes:

 **Chapter 1- choosing who to follow next.** It didn't actually change the ending, but had you chosen Eunwoo  & Moonbin, you would have been given a choice, mid-chapter, about who to send through the vent, that would have affected the ending, later. Choosing to send Dongmin would have been the good end choice. Sending Bin would have made their puzzle more difficult for them and lead to them getting frustrated with each other. though this one wouldn't have locked you OUT of the good end, but would have created more choices in the future that would have.

 **Chapter 2- KEEP ORIGINAL PAIRS or CHANGE PAIRS.** You chose to keep original pairs, thus keeping you on the good route. Changing pairs would have resulted in being closed off from the good end (though a neutral end would still have been possible).  
I originally planned for the change pairs route to lead to the majority voting to change, but I just couldn't make that make sense with the characters, so instead of changing the majortiy vote, it would have just changed the votes of those who already were uncertain about what they were going to vote for.

Here is the chat I had written up for this option:

 

> **_Message from: |||| (ALL)_ **
> 
> _Understood. You have collectively decided…_
> 
> _Vote inconclusive. Equal votes for CHANGE and KEEP pairs._
> 
> _Defaulting to: KEEP ORIGINAL PAIRS_
> 
> _The following voted to change: MJ, Eunwoo, Moonbin_
> 
> _The following voted to keep: JinJin, Rocky, Sanha_
> 
> _You will keep your original pairs in the next room. Please go through the door in the following order within 10 minutes:_
> 
> _MJ, JinJin, Eunwoo, Moonbin, Rocky, Sanha_
> 
> _Failure to do so will add an increase in difficulty for future puzzles._
> 
> _Thank you for your participation._

 Notice that the tone that **||||** uses is different here than when they voted to stay together. As well as the time limit for going through the door being less, so they have less time to talk out why they voted the way they did.

Had this been the result the following would have happened:  
Jinwoo would have lost a little bit of trust in Myungjun's ability to think things through properly, causing them to be significantly less helpful to each other, and listening less.  
Dongmin and Bin would have tried to explain their reasonings, only to make things worse. (Bin sounding unsure with his reason, now that the result has happened, causing Dongmin to question if the /real/ reason is just that he didn't want to work with Dongmin anymore.) their teamwork would have been significantly hindered, and once time limits were applied, they would have been in a large amount of danger.  
as for Minhyuk and Sanha? They would have Immediately lost some faith in the others, and chose to rely mostly on each other (they still would have helped when they could, but they wouldn't bring their own questions to the table, causing them to solve puzzles like the digital root/sum one much much slower.)

 **Chapter 3:** no choices but this chapter would have obviously been drastically different because of chapter 2.

 **Chapter 4: ASK ABOUT NUMBER OF ROOMS or ASK ABOUT PROGRESS**  
asking about number of rooms: Sanha immediately loses trust in Jinwoo, because he didn't do what he said he would, but tries to be okay with it. In turn Minhyuk also loses trust in jinwoo (and snaps at him "I told him not to thank you for saying no but what i should have said was not to thank you for lying to him"). Myungjun would be a little upset with him, because they're all supposed to be working together and lying to each other doesn't help anyone. This locks you out of the good ending, and leaves it so that the neutral ending- of which there's more than one, depending on who fails to escape- leaves jinwoo and myungjun trapped.  
(if we were on the path where half of them voted to change pairs, this would have completely broken their teamwork meaning we would be stuck on a route where Minhyuk would have completely lost faith in the judgement of the others- except sanha- and wouldn't communicate with them nearly at all, inevitably leading to more choices in future stuff that can lead to the other pairs not making it out at all)

 **Chapter 5:** I mean, the puzzles are all the same so choosing any pair wouldn't change anything. but fun fact on the bad or neutral routes there would have been a vote in chapter 6 about if they should cheat or not, because the reality of the games rules would be easier to not think about? Choosing not to cheat would have kept them from failing, meaning at least 2 pairs would still have a chance to escape. But choosing to cheat would have immediately ended with them "scarificing" their progress.  
Depending on the question choice with Jinwoo, this could have left minhyuk and sanha as the only ones still able to escape.

 **Cahpter 6:** Again, choosing who to follow wouldn't have made a huge difference in the route we ended up on, but had you been on a bad route your choices for who to follow would have been less, and on the worst route you would have only had rocky and sanha to choose from.

Depending on who was chosen, the ~feelings~ happening would have been different in chapter seven. rocky and sanha have the whole "whats going to happen to sanha" stuff going through their heads, but had you chosen someone else it would have been a different thing.

 **all of the final parts:** choosing who to follow really just decided the order of events, and thus who was where, when. I didn't have a plan for these events, so there wasn't an alternative. The only difference that was for certain a thing is that the final puzzle of the final room, had it been eunwoo's perspective, would have had him picking out the notes instead of rocky.

On a route where only rocky & sanha make it to the final room, there would be a choice during the final room- before reaching the exit- that making the wrong choice could cause these two to also lose their progress, and giving you the bad ending.

 **final choice:** the last time when you could have gotten bad ending, on an already failing route, or a neutral ending if you were on the good route, had you chosen "wrong."  
So if you were on a neutral route, and chose wrong, you would have gotten a bad ending.  
and if you were on the good route, and chosen wrong, it would have lead to a neutral ending.

 **Final choices for other routes:**  
**route where jinjin and mj were already lost:** a choice about sacrificing their own progress, in exchange for these two. had you voted yes, then you would have lost moonbin and eunwoo, in exchange for mj and jinjin. It would have created a different variation of another ending. (See bellow for summaries of the endings).

 **route where eunwoo and bin were already lost:** the same as above, but reversed.

 **Route where everyone except rocky and sanha were already lost:** the same as the other two, but rocky  & sanha making this choice, after everything else, would have been a lot more difficult for them, so this would have extended the ending a bit. In the end this would have restored EVERYONE else's progress, in exchange for theirs, and would have been the only way to get the "everyone except minhyuk and sanha make it out" ending.

* * *

  
Overview of possible endings (neutral ends can also be called "bittersweet" ends):

  
**Good End: Everyone escapes!**

**Neutral End 1:** Jinwoo  & Myungjun fail to escape, but everyone else makes it out.

 **Neutral End 2:** Bin & Dongmin fail to escape, but everyone else makes it out.

 **Neutral End 3:** Only Sanha & Minhyuk escape.

 **Neutral End 4:** Minhyuk & Sanha sacrifice their progress to restore everyone else's, so only they don't escape.

 **Neutral End 5:** Only Sanha escapes. (Only possible if you stay on the good route until the very last choice, then make the wrong choice)

 **Bad End:** Nobody makes it out.

* * *

Summary of different endings:

  
**neutral end 1:** when everyone wakes up back in their real dorms, they check on each other- minhyuk immediately trying to contacts sanha- only to realize jinwoo and myungjun are gone. they start blaming each other and after dongmin blames sanha specifically, minhyuk leaves, and everyone separates. in the end they all move out of the dorm and to different places, and each of them gets a notification about sacrificing progress to restore someone elses. whether they chose to do this or not is never said.

 **neutral end 2:** like the last one, but jinwoo actively tries to calm everyone and keep them from fighting. in the end minhyuk leaves to check on sanha, while telling the others to stay safe, and like in the first neutral end, they all move out of the dorm, and later get that notification. in this route it's revealed that /someone/ had said yes to this option, but not who.

 **Neutral end 3:** minhyuk wakes in the dorm alone. now that they're out of the game, the guilt of his lack of trust in them- and their dishonesty or poor decisions- getting them killed, makes him hesitate to go to sanha. eventually he pulls himself together to check on sanha, and the two both deal with what happened, but neither of them ever fully recover. unlike to first two neutral ends, because they already would have chosen not to sacrifice their progress for the others, this is the definitive end of the game-related events for them.  
  
**neutral end 4:** the others wake up with a notification telling them what happened to minhyuk in sanha. after checking in with each other, making sure they're all okay, this weighs heavily on them and eventually they all move out, and their friendships fall apart. they stop talking entirely, and all deal with the news of minhyuk and sanha's disappearences.

 **neutral end 5:** sanha wakes up in his home. he tries to contact the others, only to get nothing in response. it takes a while, when his parents find him at home and question his disappearence (confused, worried, and upset), they don't let him leave for a while. but eventually he goes to the dorm, only to not be able to get inside. He reports to someone that he can't get in contact with his friend, who lives there, and that nobody else has heard from him, and eventually gets inside only to find that nobody is there, and there's no sign of where they've gone. He gets a similar notification to the first and second neutral ends, except instead of trading progress, he has to participate in another game, to win their progress back. he agrees and that's where it ends.

 **bad end:** a series of events revolving around people reporting them missing- relatives, friends, ect- the ends with a skip ahead a few years, in which they still haven't been found. an unnamed person is reading a news post about this, when they get a notification about a ~new fun escape the room game~ and decide to play it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! Thank you again for reading!
> 
> my dumb brain: wait to post this until the 15th  
> me: why?  
> my brain: birthday present, you finished the story  
> me: i'm not going to make everyone wait two weeks just for that  
> me, also: almost does just that but then decides to just post it anyway
> 
>  
> 
> uuhhh other things of note: the games tone/actions change through each route. like on the good route, when the final room happens it goes "yeah okay i'll take away the time limit you guys have fun" whereas on the bad route it would be like "hey you guys seem to be having a pretty hard time so i'll lighten the time limit by a few minutes :)"  
> /i/ know why that is, but i'll leave theorizing on that to you


	13. BONUS 2 (Original Concept Stuff)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This isn't a new chapter, but I found the first attempt at the first chapter I wrote, which had a different story and was 100% in text format, which i thought might be interesting?

The following is the part of a chapter I wrote originally that eventually turned into this story (after some very obvious re-working of the story)

> **_**Myungjun :)** _ **
> 
> _Hey my frined who loves me_
> 
> _< i foudn this app_
> 
> _Why tell me and not like_
> 
> _Literally anyone else?_
> 
> _Also I think you_ _’re overstating >_
> 
> _< Minhyuk :(_
> 
> _Also did you change your name in my phone?_
> 
> _When?_
> 
> _How? >_
> 
> _< :)_
> 
> __:( >_ _
> 
> __So this app_ _
> 
> __Is a chat app_ _
> 
> __And it has features I think might lessons the confusing mess that our current one is_ _
> 
> __You know_ _
> 
> __< Bc the kids are messes_ _
> 
> __
> 
> __“kids”_ _
> 
> __You say_ _
> 
> __To the 2_ _ _ _nd_ _ __youngest of your friends_ _
> 
> __And when you’re the like_ _
> 
> __Youngest in emotional age >_ _
> 
> __You wound me_ _
> 
> __< HERE [link]_ _
> 
> __No >_ _
> 
> __< please?_ _
> 
> __Why >_ _
> 
> __< everyone else agreed already_ _
> 
> __Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuu_ _
> 
> __Fine >_ _
> 
> __-_ _
> 
> **_**_WELCOME TO STAR MESSAGING SYSTEM_ ** _ **
> 
> **_**_Please enter a username_ ** _ **
> 
> Rocky_PMH
> 
> ****Username accepted** **
> 
> ****Please enter a year of birth** **
> 
> 1999
> 
> ****Year accepted** **
> 
> ****Please enter a colour (this will change your bg colour, can be changed at a later point)** **
> 
> Blue
> 
> ****Please be more specific** **
> 
> Light blue?
> 
> ****Colour accepted. Updating BG COLOUR.** **
> 
> ****Updated.** **
> 
> ****SETTINGS:** **
> 
> ****USER: Rocky_PMH** **
> 
> ****PHONE: XXX-XXX-XXXX** **
> 
> ****BG: Light Blue** **
> 
> ****Birth Year: 1999** **
> 
> ****Is everything correct?** **
> 
> Yes.
> 
> ****LOADING…** **
> 
> __
> 
> __Welcome,_ _ **_**_Rocky_PMH._ ** _ **
> 
> __@M00NB1N has sent a request_ _
> 
> __@YOONSHA has sent a request_ _
> 
> __@MJ_K has sent a request_ _
> 
> __@ChaEunWoo has sent a request_ _
> 
> __@Jin_Jin_Park has sent a request_ _
> 
> **_**_Group created;_ ** _ ** __ASTRO_ _
> 
> __Rocky_PMH added to group_ _
> 
> __
> 
> **_**_ASTRO (Group)_ ** _ **
> 
> __You:_ _
> 
> Why
> 
> __@YOONSHA:_ _
> 
> What do you mean?
> 
> __@M00NB1N:_ _
> 
> The real question is why did u make a group chat on this sh****** of a
> 
> messaging sight
> 
> site*
> 
> when we already had one
> 
> __@ChaEunWoo:_ _
> 
> What?
> 
> It said Jinwoo made it?
> 
> __@Jin_Jin_Park__ :
> 
> I didn’t? I thought MJ did
> 
> __YOu:_ _
> 
> I didn’t get anything about who made it?
> 
> Just requests from all u
> 
> Of u
> 
> Wait
> 
> __@MJ_K:_ _
> 
> Wiat?
> 
> __YoU:_ _
> 
> You know abover your messages?
> 
> Abve*
> 
> Above* fuck
> 
> How it says “you”
> 
> __@MJ_K:_ _
> 
> no
> 
> yeah obviosly
> 
> __YOU:_ _
> 
> It’s freaking out on me?
> 
> Like it was fine at first
> 
> Then it said “YOu” and “YoU”
> 
> Now it’s all cas
> 
> Caps*
> 
> __@YOONSHA_ _
> 
> Sppooky
> 
> __Rocky_PMH:_ _
> 
> Shut up
> 
> What the fuck
> 
> Now it’s my username
> 
> __@M00NB1N:_ _
> 
> UR haunted minhyuk
> 
> __@ChaEunWoo:_ _
> 
> Why did you capitalize ur but not his name
> 
> __@M00NB1N:_ _
> 
> Priorities friend
> 
> __@MJ_K:_ _
> 
> ERROR: MESSAGE FROM KIM MYUNGJUN NOT SENT
> 
> __@Jin_Jin_Park:_ _
> 
> Myungjun? MJ?
> 
> __@MJ_K:_ _
> 
> ERROR: MESSAGE FROM KIM MYUNGJUN NOT SENT
> 
> __ROCKY:_ _
> 
> So like
> 
> Did any of you put your real name in when u signed up?
> 
> It didn’t even ask for mine
> 
> __@ChaEunWoo:_ _
> 
> I think my username pretty clearly says I did not
> 
> Someone text MJ ERROR: MESSAGE FROM LEE DONGMIN NOT RECEIVED
> 
> __@M00NB1N:_ _
> 
> funny
> 
> u should have done that at the start of ur message
> 
> __@YOONSHA__ :
> 
> :(
> 
> __@Jin_Jin_Park:_ _
> 
> Myungjun wont text me back
> 
> __
> 
> __ROCKY:_ _
> 
> Did you break up
> 
> ?
> 
> __@MyungJun_Kim:_ _
> 
> Obviously not
> 
> __@M00NB1N:_ _
> 
> yeah ok I have questions
> 
> UR username changed?
> 
> You pupt your REAL NAME ON HERE?!
> 
> __@ChaEunWoo:_ _
> 
> Bin your entire username is your real name
> 
> __@M00NB1N:_ _
> 
> my poor life choices are not the discussion topic
> 
> __@MyungJun_Kim:_ _
> 
> What are u talking about my user id is MJ_K
> 
> Not exactly my full name or anything
> 
> ERROR: MESSAGE FROM MJ_K NOT SENT
> 
> __@YOONSHA:_ _
> 
> So anyone else really questioning why were using this glitchy
> 
> App
> 
> Instead of texting each other
> 
> Like normal people
> 
> I skipped class to make this
> 
> don’t’ look at that jinwoo
> 
> __@Jin_Jin_Park:_ _
> 
> :/
> 
> As an adult im obligated to tell you not to skip class
> 
> As me?
> 
> Yeah as long as you pass I don’t care
> 
> every once in a while
> 
> Not all the time
> 
> __MINHYUK:_ _
> 
> Okay but can we like
> 
> Choose a topic and stick with it for 5 seconds
> 
> Y’all
> 
> Are the ones who wnated to do this
> 
> Why don’t u expalin
> 
> WHAT THE FUCK
> 
> __
> 
> __@M00NB1N:_ _
> 
> Calm down?
> 
> Also wtf do you mean????
> 
> You sent ME the link???????????
> 
> __@YOONSHA:_ _
> 
> Yeah I only did this bc Eunwoo sent it to me
> 
> __MINHYUK:_ _
> 
> First: I didn’t send you anything Bin
> 
> SECOND:
> 
> I don’t care about THAT
> 
> MY NAME
> 
> mY NAME IS MY NAME
> 
> Hold on
> 
> [Image Sent]
> 
> __@ChaEunWoo:_ _
> 
> Uh
> 
> Alright bye
> 
> I’m deleting this
> 
> Hey wait
> 
> My message from before cut off?
> 
> HOW DID I MISS THAT ENTIRE PART OF THE CONVERSATIOn
> 
> don’t make fun of me I didn’t do that
> 
> __@M00NB1N:_ _
> 
> What
> 
> Oh the error that happened halfway through ur message?
> 
> I thought u were just ignoring us
> 
> __@ChaEunWoo:_ _
> 
> Nope aha bye
> 
> This app is a 0/10 would not rec
> 
> Com
> 
> Mend
> 
> Bye
> 
> ERROR:  FROM EUNWOO NOT SENT
> 
> __@YOONSHA:_ _
> 
> Not to change topic again
> 
> But his first error used hsi real name
> 
> Which he said he didn’t give the app ever?
> 
> And not this one
> 
> __@MYUNGJUN_KIM:_ _
> 
> Data mined???
> 
> __@Jin_Jin_Park__ :
> 
> This is a mess
> 
> MJ’s username is still messed up (is that just me?)
> 
> And minhyuk’s is apparently his real name
> 
> And eunwoo has whatever is going on
> 
> I gotta agree with just deleting it
> 
> ERROR: MESSAGE FROM JINJIN NOT RECEIVED
> 
> __
> 
> __MINHYUK:_ _
> 
> So I know we’re all not having a good time
> 
> But any1 else wonder why it cant decided if the mssages arent sent or recieved
> 
> Messages*
> 
> Received*
> 
> __@Jin_Jin_Park:_ _
> 
> What?
> 
> Did something not go through again?
> 
> __@YOONSAHA:_ _
> 
> Yeah, your last (?) one
> 
> __@MyungJun_Kim_ _
> 
> ERROR: MESSAGE NOT SENT  
>  ERROR: MESSAGE NOT SENT
> 
> ERROR: MESSAGE NOT RECEIVED
> 
> ERROR: M3SSAGE N0T SENT
> 
> __@M00NB1N:_ _
> 
> Yes we get it this app is ~glitching~ and ~scary~
> 
> I’m joing the ‘im out’ crew
> 
> __@LeeDongMin:_ _
> 
> Don’t
> 
> __@YOONSHA:_ _
> 
> What
> 
> ERROR: USER NOT FOUND
> 
> WHAT
> 
> __@Jin_Jin_Park:_ _
> 
> What did you try to do?
> 
> __@YOONSHA:_ _
> 
> I tried to message Eunwoo
> 
> You know
> 
> The command this thing SAYS it has
> 
> In groups
> 
> For @-ing someone in the chat
> 
> __
> 
> __@M00NB1N:_ _
> 
> okay but with what username cause
> 
> changing
> 
> __
> 
> __@YoonSAHA:_ _
> 
> THE ORIGINAL ONE
> 
> WHAT  
>  WHAT THE HECK
> 
> __MINHYUK:_ _
> 
> Okay yeah no I agree with literally everyone
> 
> This app is dead to me
> 
> Bye
> 
> __Rocky_PMH has left ASTRO (group)_ _
> 
> __Rocky_PMH has attempted to delete Rocky_PMH_ _
> 
> __ERROR: Cannot delete account. Account does not exist._ _
> 
> __ERROR: Don’t_ _
> 
> __ERROR: Cannot delete account. User still active._ _
> 
> __ERROR: Rocky_PMH currently in group._ _
> 
> __Rocky_PMH added to ASTRO (group)_ _
> 
> __
> 
> __Park Minhyuk:_ _
> 
> ??????????????
> 
> ???????
> 
> ????????????????????????????
> 
> __@MyungJun_Kim:_ _
> 
> Relatable
> 
> You’re back
> 
> That was fast
> 
> __
> 
> __Park Minhyuk:_ _
> 
> [Image Sent[
> 
> Yeah well
> 
> Tthis happened
> 
> This*
> 
> __@ChaEunWoo:_ _
> 
> What a coincidence-
> 
> [Image Sent]
> 
> [VIEW IMAGE:
> 
> **_**_ChaEunWoo has left ASTRO (group)_ ** _ **
> 
> **_**_ChaEunWoo has attempted to delete account ChaEunWoo_ ** _ **
> 
> **_**_ERROR: Cannot delete account, name invalid._ ** _ **
> 
> **_**_ERROR: Cannot delete account. User still active_ ** _ **
> 
> **_**_ERROR: ChaEunWoo currently in group_ ** _ **
> 
> **_**_ChaEunWoo added to ASTRO (group)_**_** ]
> 
> __@M00NB1N:_ _
> 
> question:
> 
> U told me NOT TO delete it like 5 seconds ago
> 
> so?
> 
> __@ChatEunWoo:_ _
> 
> ERROR: MESSAGE FROM LEE DONGMIN NOT SENT
> 
> __@YOONSHA:_ _
> 
> Okay but one of your erros was just “don’t” minhyuk
> 
> So like
> 
> New idea!
> 
> Delete app without loging out and never look back
> 
> __Park Minhyuk:_ _
> 
> Your smater than we give you credit for
> 
> Smarter*
> 
> __@YOONSHA:_ _
> 
> ERROR: ACCOUNT INACTIVE
> 
> __@MyungJun_Kim:_ _
> 
> Well looks like that worked.
> 
> I guess I’m off to do the same
> 
> I’ll text you guys
> 
> :)
> 
> ERROR: ACCOUTN INACTIVE
> 
> ERROR: USER STILL ACTIVE
> 
> ERROR: ACCOUNT DEACTIVATED
> 
> ERROR: Myungjun INACTIVE
> 
> __@YOONSHA:_ _
> 
> Hey so I cant uninstall it????????
> 
> i’m like 90% sure this is a viris and we’re all idiots
> 
> __@M00NB1N:_ _
> 
> Brilliant deduction
> 
> __Park Minhyuk:_ _
> 
> don’t mock the kid
> 
> Its not his fault this sucks
> 
> Ughoiwehfiow
> 
> I cant afford a new phone
> 
> ****ERROR: Your Message was not sent** **
> 
> …
> 
> Oay so how do you all not notice when your messages don’t go through
> 
> It tells you pretty clearly
> 
> Okay*
> 
> __@Jin_JIn_Park:_ _
> 
> What?
> 
> I didn’t get told anything
> 
> Also Sanha you couldn’t uninstall it?
> 
> __@YOONSHA:_ _
> 
> Yeah
> 
> __@Jin_Jin_Park:_ _
> 
> Then Myungjun?
> 
> He wont respond to me either still
> 
> __@ChaEunWoo:_ _
> 
> Me either
> 
> For both of those
> 
> Oh
> 
> Sorry either way I have to go
> 
> Work calls
> 
> (and I guess I have to get a new phone later too)
> 
> ERROR: USER OFFLINE
> 
> __@M00NB1N:_ _
> 
> that’s an error??
> 
> __Park Minhyuk:_ _
> 
> Everything is
> 
> My life included
> 
> NEW MESSAGE FROM Myungjun :) AT 10:45am
> 
> **_**_Myungjun :)_ ** _ **
> 
> __< Help_ _
> 
> __? >_ _
> 
> __I don’t_ _
> 
> __Phone_ _
> 
> __Wont work_ _
> 
> __< texts?_ _
> 
> __I don’t understand?_ _
> 
> __You’re texting me >_ _
> 
> __H_ _
> 
> __< stuck_ _
> 
> __What is >_ _
> 
> __I am_ _
> 
> __< ****_ _
> 
> __MJ?_ _
> 
> __Hey?_ _
> 
> __Did uninstalling that make things worse?_ _
> 
> __?????_ _
> 
> __Hey?_ _
> 
> __What happened?_ _
> 
> __HEY >_ _
> 
> __Myungjun inactive_ _
> 
> __< please try again later, minhyuk_ _
> 
> __WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN >_ _
> 
> **_**_Jinjin_ ** _ **
> 
> __
> 
> __Myungjun texted me_ _
> 
> __[image] >_ _
> 
> __What_ _
> 
> __Does any of that mean?_ _
> 
> __< has he not responded?_ _
> 
> __Nope >_ _
> 
> __That’s really weird._ _
> 
> __And actually kind of freaking me out_ _
> 
> __< what about the others?_ _
> 
> __
> 
> __Guess_ _
> 
> __Nothing outside of that group chat >_ _
> 
> __
> 
> ****Astro (group)** **
> 
> YOONSHA Left the group
> 
> MJ_K Left the group
> 
> YoonSanha Has joined the group
> 
> MJ_K has been banned from the group
> 
> __@MoonBin:_ _
> 
> WHY WAS HE BANNED
> 
> Oh great me 2 now okay
> 
> Hey real name how are you
> 
> __@YoonSanha:_ _
> 
> Not to be like
> 
> A kid or anything
> 
> __@MoonBin:_ _
> 
> You’re like 12
> 
> __@Jin_Jin_Park:_ _
> 
> You’re only 2 years older than him
> 
> __@MoonBin:_ _
> 
> i’m 14
> 
> __@YoonSanha:_ _
> 
> :(
> 
> I was saying
> 
> Can someone come to my house?
> 
> And just
> 
> Maybe
> 
> Not leave
> 
> __Park Minhyuk:_ _
> 
> Whats wrong?
> 
> __@YoonSanha:_ _
> 
> I just
> 
> This whole thing is freaking me out
> 
> And we cant talk to mj???
> 
> And I’m CERTAIN I heard someone outside but I’m too
> 
> Not comfortable
> 
> To check
> 
> __@MoonBin:_ _
> 
> the word you’re looking for is scared
> 
> But like
> 
> Understandable
> 
> __@Jin_Jin_Park:_ _
> 
> It’d midday
> 
> So like
> 
> Can you wait two hours???
> 
> I’m at work
> 
> __@MoonBin:_ _
> 
> Texting at work
> 
> What a rebel
> 
> Well “texting””
> 
> __Park Minhyuk:_ _
> 
> Yeah
> 
> No
> 
> I’m already on my way jinwoo don’t bother
> 
> __@YoonSanha:_ _
> 
> :)
> 
> thanks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> on a side note if i wrote a story similar to this one but with a different group would anyone be  
> interested in that  
> or even something similar with astro
> 
> EDIT: I've posted another astro story with a similar vibe to this one, but a different format & plot, if anyone is interested. ( "If They Were Fictional Characters Is It Murder" here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17429762 )


End file.
